Super Robot Taisen S
by Lily Nadesico
Summary: Space Century 141. In a dark, oppressive future, begins the incredible journey of a courageous female pilot and her struggle to set right what once went wrong... FINAL CHANGES TO SERIES LIST VIEWABLE IN CHAPTER 1!
1. Chapter 1

**Super Robot Taisen S**

**A Super Robot Taisen fanfiction By Lily Nadesico**

Disclaimer: All the characters, robots and general trademarks used in this fanfiction are property of theor respective companies (Sunrise, Banpresto, etc.). They have been used without permission and without personal profit, just for the sake of writing a story. Therefore, I kindly ask of you not to sue me.

If you are reading this, then I welcome you to my most ambitious project - a whole saga on the extremely popular (in Japan) video game series Super Robot Taisen. which brings together mecha from all kinds of anime, and spins a whole new story to tie them all together. It's a really great series, especially the newest ones like Z and the episodes for portable consoles, so if you ever get a chance, give them a try!

In particular, this one takes inspiration from Super Robot Taisen R from the Game Boy Advance, though it definitely won't be a copy-and-paste of the story. As you will see, there are some new series, and new elements will be introduced, so I hope I'll be able to deliver a good story and amuse all the fans of this awesome series of games!

That said, I should leave you to reading the beginning of my story! Enjoy!

And excuse the mistakes I might make... English is not my native language! *giggles*

**Chapter 01 - Prologue**

Progress. Knowledge. Ambition. These are the operative words when talking bout human evolution. Since ancient times, man always wanted to understand and control his surroundings. Unique among all the living beings on Earth, mankind was able to develop the intelligence needed to not only adapt to the surrounding environment, but to also adapt the environment itself to itself. This has been a constant in the long history of mankind... and now, it has allowed humanity to spread into space and begin exploring new horizons.

More than one century went by since humanity began leaving the over-populated Earth and created space colonies: huge satellites in which mankind was able to recreate the living conditions present on Earth, allowing the survival and reproduction of plants and animals, and creating huge space cities who prosper thanks to these resources. New cities were built on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars, paving the road to further progress.

Unfortunately, when speaking of human history, we cannot leave out another crucial constant.

War. The desire to fight, destroy, overcome others. An instinct also common to animals, and an instinct of which mankind, despite its superior intelligence and resources, was still unable to get rid. Technologic and scientific progress, unfortunately, also has its negative side: in fact, all these new abilities have often been turned to serve mankind's most primal instincts, spreading death and suffering on an ever-expanding scale. Even in the future, even in the space colonies era, this tendency has remained.

The old, weak and corrupt Earth Federation considered the colonies' inhabitants as second-class citizens, depriving them of many resources and forcing them to submit to its will to survive. This situation degenerated with time, and the battles for the colonies' independence become more and more violent... until the Side 3 colonies, united under the name of Principality of Zeon, declared themselves independent, starting what would later be known as the devastating One Year War. To further aggravate the situation, another arbitrary distinction among human beings intervened - on one side, the Coordinators, genetically enhanced human beings; and on the other, the natural-born Naturals. These two "factions" looked to each other with mixed feelings of suspect, fear and envy, thickening the already-present tension... and the fact that, only ten years before, the Earth had been savagely attacked by mysterious being known as Heterodynes, leaving the planet in serious need of recovery, only worsened the situation.

The fighting between Earthnoids and Spacenoids, between Coordinators and Naturals, did not end with the war, and continued with numerous colonial riots and terroristic operations, chief among which the so-called Operation Stardust, in which a group of Zeon remnants stole the Gundam GP-02A Physalis, a top secret Federation Mobile Suit prototype, and managed to hijack an empty colony and drop it on Earth, causing serious damage to the planet's ecosystems. Following this incidents, the Titans and the Specials division (aka OZ) were founded - the former, an anti-Spacenoid suppression force, noted for its brutal and ruthless methods; and the latter, the military branch of the warmongering Romefeller Foundation. To add to that, numerous government organizations were born with the objective to put a stop to genetic engeneering and halt Coordinator progress... chief among those, a fanatical environmentalist group known as Blue Cosmos, whose leaders maintained that Coordinators had to be ostracized and exterminated to "preserve a blue and pure world" and to safeguard humankind' genetic heritage.

Needless to say, such actions could only exacerbate tensions... and following two extremely tragic accidents (the Titans' complete extermination through nervine gas of a dissident colony, and the destruction of a PLANT through nuclear warheads - which would later be known as Bloody Valentine Tragedy for the fact that it happened on the 14th of February) which cost Spacenoids more than half a million victims, several rebellious organization were born, among which the Anti Earth United Government (A.E.U.G.), the Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty (ZAFT) and the more sinister White Fang. War broke out, only ending when the Titans, Romefeller Foundation and White Fang were destroyed along with ther leaders. Exhausted by the continuous wars, Earthnoids and Spacenoids embraced the ideals of Total Pacifism, allowing the Federation to be reborn as the Earth Union. Blue Cosmos, which had manipulated events from the shadows, was forced into hiding, and ZAFT momentarily ceased hostilities. Human beings had finally ceased fighting amongst themselves...

Alas, this was not to last. As if waiting for the right time, numerous alien invaders tried to take advantage of the reduction of military resources to attack the near-defenceless Earth Union. Mikene Empire, the robotic entities known as Gulfer, the faceless monsters known as Zeravire, the cyborg invaders called Meganoids, mysterious aliens only known as Jovian Lizards, and the forces of the allied planets Cambell and Boazan. At the same time, the Principality of Zeon was reborn as Neo Zeon on the minerary asteroid of Axis, and started an aggressive expansion campaign... and the lunar colonies, joined under the banner of Giganos Empire, declared war on the Union, calling for a new order under the "enlightened" guidance of the spaceborn generation. Such a disastrous set of invasions was only stemmed thanks to the intervention of powerful "Super Robots": Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger, Getter Robo, Gear Fighter Dendoh, Daitarn 3, Gravion and others...

ZAFT, led by the radical Patrick Zala, had opened ostilities once again, by hijacking four powerful Gundam-type Mobile suit. This event was only part of a criminal plan to exerminate the Naturals, and only the courage and tenacity of several Union aces, such as the Newtype pilots Amuro Rei, Kamille Vidan, Judau Ashta, and of the crew of the warships Archangel, Idaho and Nadesico managed to avert disaster. But the net result was, that the peace everyone was calling for had been shown to be nothing more than an illusion.

Bitter criticism was levelled towards Total Pacifism, and a devastating coup collapsed the Earth Union and marked the birth of the New Earth Federation, under Chairman Dekim Barton. Relationships with Spacenoids, that had been more friendly during the time of the Earth Union, degenerated once again, and new hostilities started between the New Federation and the second Neo Zeon uprising, under the guidance of the infamous Colonel Char Aznable. As if this wasn't enough, ZAFT was attacking once again, and Blue Cosmos was coming out of hiding, backed up by the shadowy LOGOS...

Space Century, Year 141. Five years after Dekim Barton's coup, in a faraway lunar base, the final test runs of a new weapon were about to start... a weapon destined to have a huge impact on humanity's blind rush towards self-destruction...

**oooooooooo**

**And welcome to my first endeavor in the world of Super Robot Taisen! This is my most ambitious work yet, and it will feature a lot of series of both old and new!**

**Series List:**

**SEASON 1**

**Mobile Suit Gundam (Zeta, ZZ, Char's Counterattack)**

**Mobile Fighter G Gundam**

**Gundam Wing**

**Gundam SEED / SEED Astray**

**Martian Successor Nadesico**

**Code Geass**

**Metal Armor Dragonar**

**Mazinger Z + Great Mazinger**

**Getter Robo (classic series)**

**Daitarn 3**

**Zambot 3**

**Voltes V**

**Combattler V**

**General Daimos**

**Dancougar**

**Gravion / Gravion Zwei**

**Gear Fighter Dendoh**

**Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann**

**oooooooooo**

**SEASON 2 (several series from above will be "retired" by then, but most will still be around)**

**Victory Gundam**

**Gundam SEED Destiny**

**Code Geass R2**

**Brain Powerd**

**Overman King Gainer**

**Linebarrels of Iron**

**Grendizer**

**Trider G7**

**Bryger J9**

**Terrestrial Defense Corp. Dai-Guard**

**Gaiking: Legend of Daiku-Maryu**

**Dancougar Nova**

**Aquarion Evol**

**Deus Machina Demonbane**

**oooooooooo**

**That's quite the list, isn't it? But let's take things one at the time... for now, let's slowly introduce the situation... and you can be sure that things will get pretty hectic and intense!**

**I hope you will like this story... and rest assured that I will do my best to make it epic!**

**Lily**


	2. Chapter 2

**Super Robot Taisen S**

Edit: I apologize. Part of another file ended up being mixed with this chapter, so I reloaded it... Sorry about my mistake, I'll make sure it doesn't repeat itself.

**Chapter 1 - Weapon On Trial**

"Ok, this is it... the test is about to start, just keep concentrated..."

Fiona Grayden took a deep breath and sat in front of the already lit up commands on the piloting interface, as the cockpit's entry door slid closed above her, leaving her in that enclosed space, with only the lights of the consoles for company. The girl's heart was aleady beating fast with emotion and her fingers trembled slightly as they gripped the controls. Finally, the moment she and her friends had dedicated so much of their lives to was close at hand. The trial flight of the Excellence Frame was about to start.

The young pilot relaxed slightly on her seat and sighed. How many years had gone by since she and her friends Lahge and Mitsuko and, for the first time ever, shut themselves into that lunar research center, throwing themselves body and soul in realizing the experiment their fathers had theorized? Many, far more than she ever cared to count... now nineteen years old, and other than her childhood friends, she couldn't say she really had any friends. Some days, she found herself wondering if it was really worth it to sacrifice so much for a theory which could very well have turned out to be wrong... and yet, if the results had been satisfactory, it would have been a huge step forward for all mankind.

Fiona smiled sadly to herself. How ironic that, in order to continue the research, the Excellence Project had to be turned into a weapon of war. But difficult times require compromises, whether the young pilot liked it or not...

The console emitted a loud beeping, jolting Fiona out of her thoughts. Raising an arm, the girl pressed a green button on the right side of her interface, and a comm screen blinked open in front of her, lightly oscillating before stabilizing itself. Onscreen, Fiona saw the face of a boy just a little above twenty years old, with neatly-combed emerald green hair and a pair of looking glasses. He was wearing some sort of blue military uniform with silvered shoulder pads, and had a serious, dispassionate demeanor. He adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose with a gesture of his hand, before clearing his throat and speaking.

"Good to see you're ready, Fiona." he said, calmly yet firmly. "Can you read me? What are the Excellence's conditions?"

Fiona smiled more heartily now. "Lahge, it's great to see you! Everything under control here! Commands working, parameters within normal limits. What about the engines of the interchangeable frames? If something goes wrong now, we're in hot water...".

Fiona was quite pretty, with short reddish hair tied in a small braid falling on her left shoulder, and large blue eyes filled with energy and bravado, exactly reflecting her strong, somewhat impulsive personality. Those who knew her (few of them, considering she had spent so much time in that research center, between experiments and piloting simulations...) knew that her sweet, inoffensive appearence hid a strong sense of justice, and that she was ready to fight to the finish for her dreams and her friends. At the moment, for that trial flight, she was wearing a tight-fitting piloting suit in artificial fibers, polished enough to reflect the scarce lighting of the cockpit. Silver applications decorated her piloting suit here and there, and her shoulder pads were of the same colour.

"All functioning according to previsions." Lahge answered. "Time Shift Engine stabilized. Temporal particles... 100% preserved. Condition green. You can go out."

Fiona gave a thumbs-up. "Way to go, my friend! You and Mitsuko have done a terrific job, as always! Now, it's all up to me. Should we fail, the responsability will be all mine..."

Lahge nodded, his serious face marred by a shade of worry. "Do your best, Fiona. We've come a long way to complete the Time Shift Engine our parents theorized."

"I know..." Fiona answered, with a melanchonic sigh. "We all had to sacrifice a lot to come this far..."

Just then, another comm screen appeared besides Lahge's, showing the pretty face of a girl about the same age as Fiona, with short and somewhat messy violet hair with matching eyes, wearing a red suit similar in form to Fiona's, only slighty heavier and with more silvered parts. Mitsuko Saiki, Fiona's other best childhood friend, and the trio's mechanics and electronics expert, was a smart, resourceful girl despite her overall lack of self-confidence, and she always knew how to think her way out of a problem. She was a stark contrast to Lahge, the one who was more knowledgeable on the mysterious Time Shift technology about to be used in the current experiment: he was a collected guy who sometimes seemed emotionless, but his reasoning and stark logic had often taken the trio out of sticky situations. More than once, Fiona had joked about herself being the brute strength of the team...

"And it's not over yet, I should say..." Mitsuko warned, without hiding her anxiety. "Should today's test turn out negative, fundings will be cut, and our entire research will be in jeopardy..."

Fiona nodded seriously. "I know, Mitsuko... after all, that's why we turned the Time Shift Engine's frame into a humanoid mobile weapon."

"Because of the constant war threat, any kind of non-military research has been ostracized by the New Earth Federation government... it was inevitable, in a way." Mitsuko answered, clearly displeased about the current state of things. Since Dekim Barton had started ruling the New Earth Federation through his figurehead Mariemeia Kushrenada, everything had begun falling apart...

"Without money, research grinds to a halt..." Lahge continued. "It all depends on the results of the test. Fiona, we're all counting on you!"

"I know... wish me luck, everyone!" Fiona concluded. Her friends smiled in encouragement and closed their comm screens, while the cockpit lit up. Slightly narrowing her eyes in order not to get dazzled, Fiona pulled the cloche towards her and activated her external cameras, which showed the hangar's doors opening.

"Alright then," the young female pilot told herself. "Excellence Argento Fighter, take off!"

"So, is the pilot ready for the trial flight?" came an officer's question to the technicians in the lunar base's control room. Mitsuko, already seated at her position, typed up the rest of the necessary coordinates into the research center's databases, before turning to the military personnel present to witness the experiment. On the whole, there were no less than twelve people in the control room: herself, Lahge (who was still busy with last-minute procedures) and ten New Earth Federation officers, all wearing impressive-looking military uniforms, and all looking sternly, almost angrily, the room's screens, impatient for results to come up.

The young woman typed in one last command, then lightly pushed her seat away from the consoles and turned to answer. "Affirmative, sir. The hangar doors have been opened. The Excellence Frame's trial flight can officially begin."

"All is good, then." another officer answered curtly. "We're really curious to see what kind of weapon this is. Miss Saiki, give us a visual."

"Already working on it." she answered, pressing one last button to activate the external cameras. Immediately, the control room's screens lit up, showing the trial field right outside of the base. A small flying vehicle, no more than fifteen feet in length, was flying above the field: it looked like some sort of miniature airplane with a more futuristic look, and its sides were thickly plated with azure metal. Under the wings, it was possible to see a few propellers for space flight, and the cockpit's reinforced glass was tinted green. In the era of Mobile Suits and space colonies, such a vehicle did not look like an effective weapon, and in fact some New Federation commissaries were already expressing their distaste: some of them had their arms crossed in front of them, while others shook their heads in a desolate manner.

"Is that all? This is the project we've spent so much money and time on? Somewhat disappointing, if I'm allowed to say so." one of the officers stated. He sounded smugly pleased with himself, as if he had just said the smartest thing in the world...

"Do not worry. The Excellence's very cockpit is in fact combat-capable." Mitsuko gently answered. "In theory, the Excellence Argento Fighter is a flight and stealth module, indicated for reconnaisance work, but it also has weapons installed."

Nearby, Lahge opened a communication with his friend's vehicle. "Fiona, we're about to activate the attack program. Be careful. Even if it's just a test and they're piloted by an AI, the dummies use live ammunition. Do not get hit."

"Acknowledge!" Fiona crisply answered. Lahge nodded and entered another combination of buttons before confirming...

In the Argento Fighter's cockpit, Fiona narrowed her eyes at her radar screen, where a beeping red dot, signifying the presence of an enemy unit, had blinked in existence. With the mere pressing of a button, the girl brought oncreen the image of the enemy she was to fight against, entering from a side hangar at that very moment: it was a very old dark green Mobile Suit of more than fifty feet in height, equipped with a large rectangular shield and a machine gun, with a rather large heat axe safely mounted on its back. It slowly stepped out of the hangar and looked around with the huge red mono-eye in the center of its head, guided by Lahge's programmed AI, in search of the Argento Fighter. In response, Fiona cracked a mocking smile when the MS identified her vehicle and pointed its machine gun at her. After all, who had never seen such a robot in those times? She knew it very well...

"A Zaku? Come on, Lahge, you can do better than this!" the red-haired pilot commented, moving the Argento Fighter's cloche like she had done so many times in the past. The small fighter plane deftly dodged to its left, and the Zaku's volley of bullets whizzed harmlessly past it. Immediately after, the girl pressed a red button on the cloche, activating a pair of machine guns on the Argento Fighter's wings. She smiled grimly as she saw the heavy MS getting pelted mercilessly with her own bullets and swaying dangerously under fire until its armor gave out. Then, Fiona's shots hit the old Mobile Suit's vital points, and the Zaku collapsed and exploded, only leaving behind a twisted husk of charred, blackened metal. Fiona did another maneuvre and stabilized the Argento Fighter, then nonchalantly dusted her hands on her pants.

"Even for the Argento Fighter, that was too easy. I hope the next tests will be more of a challenge..."

"Hmm... not half bad. An obsolete model to be sure, but we still didn't think that puny plane could stand a chance against it..." one of the New Federation inspectors commented, eyes affixed on the burning Zaku carcass on the battlefield. "But I guess the results wouldn't be the same, when confronted with the more recent Mobile Suit models."

"Well, that's true..." Mitsuko admitted, running a hand through her hair and moving a bang away from her eyes. "The Argento Fighter isn't a combat unit, and has been created for flight purposes only. However, the Excellence's true power is revealed when the Argento Fighter gets combined with the various fighting modules. Fiona, get back to the hangar! We'll continue the trial with the Striker Frame!"

"Okay!" Fiona chirpily answered, swerving her unit towards the launch hangars. "Anyway, that Zaku was real crap! Lahge, I think you should send me something better, if you want the test to be meaningful!"

A few of the commissars chuckled haughtily, a mix of amusement and contempt in front of the young pilot's lack of discipline, as Lahge raised his eyes skywards, murmuring something about a certain girl's big mouth."

"Alright then, Striker Frame coming up! Fiona, get ready for docking!" the bespectacled young man answered, pressing a few more buttons...

"Great! Now we're talking!" Fiona exclaimed, watching the Striker Frame being raised from the underground docks onto the battlefield, ready for use. The Striker Frame was a large red robot, slightly taller than the Zaku Fiona had just destroyed, with short, stout legs, and a slightly bigger right arm ending in a threatening four-clawed pincer. An azure laser system was embedded in its chest, and on its head, whose white face superficially resembled a human skull, was an overlarge horn about five feet long, jutting between its green-azure eyes. Fiona reached for the console and entered a combination of commands. "Everything ready here, everyone! Starting docking with Striker Frame! Condition green! All system operating at maximum efficiency!"

"Very well, Fiona! We're counting on you!" Mitsuko answered. The Argento Fighter, a few metres above the combat module, slowly turned around, so that its rear was facing the Striker Frame's abdomen, and carefully slid into an opening in its midsection, among azure discharges of energy. As soon as the linkage was completed, Fiona gave a confirmation, and the Striker Frame's eyes lit up spectacularly! The fighting module moved its arms and stepped down from the platform on which it had been raised, its claw-arm raised in triumph.

"Yay! The docking was completely successful!" Fiona exclaimed enthusiastically, detaching her hands from the interface to pump them into fists in front of herself. "Lahge, Mitsuko, no problems in the frame's control! Time Shift Engine output raised fom 70 to 80 per cent. All system working to maximum efficiency. Is everything okay down there?"

"No problems here as well." Lahge answered neutrally. Then, a little bit of irony crept into his voice. "Heh... Time Shift Engine... instead of using traditional fuel to generate energy, this engine uses the so-called 'space-time friction shift'... if the scientists heard something like that, they'd burst out laughing!"

Fiona giggled, rubbing her nose with an index finger. "Heheheee... and the beauty of the thing is, it's actually working!"

"Right..." Lahge answered, after thinking about it for a few moments. "And that's the outcome of more than ten years of research, experiments and trial-and-error on the Time Particles in the laboratories around Saturn's orbit."

Mitsuko wrinkled her nose, feeling somewhat left out... At that moment, she felt like her friends had forgotten about the contribution she had given to that project's completion...

Luckily, grasping her friend's thought on the fly, Fiona added something to Lahge's statements. "Hey, Lahge, let's not forget about Mitsuko's cooperation! If she hadn't drawn up and built the Excellence's frames, we'd be kissing this test goodbye at this point!"

Mitsuko cracked a small smile... but as she noticed the New Federation inspectors frowning in irritation at the wasting of time, she quickly focused back on her job. "Thanks, Fiona... now, let's begin with the Striker Frame's testing! Launch automated units!"

The female operator pressed a yellow button, and two more humanoid robots appeared on the improvised battlefield through the side hangars: they looked far more advanced than the Zaku Fiona had taken down seconds earlier, and looked quite a bit more agile as well: a navy-blue colour all over, their head was shaped like a cone and elongated, with a rectangular screen as a face and beam rifles held in their hands. Fiona recognized them immediately - a couple of Taurus, light Mobile Suits used by the old Federation and by the Union army before Dekim's coup five years earlier. If memory served her, a member of the Preventers (the security-maintenance governative organization operating at the time) used a custom white Taurus as her personal Mobile Suit...

However, those Taurus were advancing towards her, their beam rifles raised and ready to shoot. With a light smirk, Fiona gripped the commands and her combat frame slid into a fight pose, its right hand clenched into a fist.

"Very well then, Taurus, show me what you can do..." the young pilot chided, as her Striker Frame slowly advanced towards the agile Mobile Suits. Her adversaries' AI soon identified Fiona's robot as an enemy, and their screen-like faces lit up... then, with incredible quickness, both Taurus aimed and shot beams of searing green light. However, the girl had seen the attack coming and, with a simple movement, raised the Striker Frame's massive right arm, using it to block the laser shots. Both beams struck the thick plating on the Striker's arm, hardly doing any damage beyond a cascade of green sparks.

"The Striker's Frame hindrance is a less than optimal mobility..." Fiona commented to herself as she checked the instruments to make sure everything was functioning normally. "On the other hands, the defense ability is top notch! As I thought, right arm damage below 1 per cent. And now, my turn! **Prisma Beam!**"

Fiona moved her hand to another interface, and the Striker instantly moved its right arms and pointed it against the Taurus, opening the clawed finger to reveal three laser ports in its palm! Before the two Mobile Suits' AI could analyze the situation, three azure beams shot out of the Striker Frame's hand and pierced one of the Taurus' chest armor, causing its screen-like face to blink in seeming confusion for a second before the robot collapsed and exploded! The remaining Taurus, unfazed by its companion's demise, kept shooting at the Striker Frame, which deftly continued blocking the shots and quickly advanced towards its opponent. The former OZ Mobile Suit dropped its rifle and unsheathed a sparkling green beam saber from a compartment on its waist, activating it with a dull throb...

...but it was already too late: the Striker Frame leapt to the attack, pummelling the lighter MS with a barrage of punches. The Taurus' damaged armor sparkled as Fiona raised the Striker's massive right arm and dropped it on her opponent's shoulder, almost ripping the sword-holding arm out of its socket! Before the Taurus could reorganize itself and get to a safe distance, Fiona gave another command, and the large red robot leapt up, spun on itself once, and came down with a vicious flying kick to the Taurus' chest.

"**Crusher Kick!**" Fiona yelled as her robot's right leg dove into the enemy MS's armor, tossing it several dozen feet away and sending it to meet the same end as its companion. Fiona's Striker Frame landed flawlessly as the Taurus blew up, and the girl gripped her hand into a fist, joyous from her victory.

"Amazing!" she exclaimed, keeping her comm port open. "This Excellence really lives up to its own name! Hey, Lahge! Mitsuko! Mission completed! I took down the enemy AIs with minimal damage to the Striker's right arm, and I didn't even need to use its final attacks! Have you gathered all data?"

"To the last iota, Fiona!" Mitsuko answered, her beaming face popping up on a comm window on the pilot's interface. "The Excellence is already performing beyond all expectations!"

Lahge opened a comm window as well. "You did a remarkable job, Fiona, but it's still too early to rejoice! Remember, you still have the Cosmo Driver Frame to test. We're already sending the module... you, detach from the Striker Frame and prepare for docking. This is a most crucial part of the trial flight!"

"Yeah, I know..." the redhead answered, starting her retreat towards the hangars. "Very well then... Excellence Striker, Disengage! Argento Fighter Mode activated!" A metallic sound was heard, and blueish energy bolts darted around the Striker Frame's abdomen, as the cockpit detached and took flight again, once again transforming in the puny fighter plane Fiona had started the trial flight in. The Striker Frame's exoskeleton became still and its shining green eyes turned off, returning to their previous quiescence.

"I'm ready, Lahge!" Fiona called. "Send me the Cosmo Driver Frame!"

"Cosmo Driver Frame?" one of the Federation commissars asked, arrogantly striding towards Mitsuko's console. "And what's that all about? I hope it's something useful, at least..."

The young researcher shifted unconfortably on her seat, feeling quite irritated by the man's closeness. He was a tall man of considerable age, whose uniform was proof of his high position, and whose hair were combed upwards in a very peculiar manner, almost resembling a flame, on his head, with thick matching moustache and a nasty expression of cruelty and bloodlust shining through his beady grey eyes. Mitsuko wrinkled her nose, remembering who that man was - Chief General Miwa Sakimori, an important member of the New Federation's Defense Committee, known since the times of the Union for his extremism, his aversion to diplomacy, and his debatable (at best) methods. She had heard he had been dishonorably discharged five years ago, and yet, for some reason, now he was back at his place. Really, who could tell what the top brass was thinking...

"Erm... yes, Admiral Sakimori..." Mitsuko hesitatingly answered. She wanted to ask him not to get near the equipment, but knowing Miwa's aggressiveness and stupidity, it was better not to push her luck and not to risk being accused of contestation of authority... "The Cosmo Driver Frame has been created for zero-G combat situations, and its numerous long-range weapons and verniers allow for great offensive power and maneuvrability. Anyway, we'll soon give you proof of its combat ability."

"Good." Miwa snarled nastily. "Try not to disappoint. The New Federation spent quite a lot of money on this."

Making sure nobody noticed him, Lahge glared at the admiral. "_Sure... money that you've been leeching off the colonies, which you consider nothing more than underpaid work force. It's hardly surprising that the relationships between Earthnoids and Spacenoids are so strained. But then again, what am I expecting from a Blue Cosmos sympathizer?_" he thought to himself, before turning back to his work. Once again, the emerald-haired young man checked the console, selected the new frame and contacted Fiona to brief her on the next part of the test. "Alright, Fiona, I'm about to send you the Cosmo Driver Frame, and your new opponents! Stand ready!"

"Right, Lahge! I'm ready whenever you are!" Fiona answered. Lahge nodded, then pressed a few buttons and looked at the screen on which the images taken by the outside camera were being broadcast. The Striker Frame's exoskeleton was being taken back to the hangars by a large platform elevator appearing seemingly out of nowhere on the field's floor; and no more than one minute later, the lift raised once again, bringing a new frame along: a purple humanoid frame with a skull-like face and azure eyes, but with a much sleeker form than the Striker Frame, and several propellers on its back, obviously to boost its speed. It was clearly a model which gave priority to mobility over destructive power. The visible armaments included a pair of short beam rifles, each one in an holster on the Cosmo Driver's hips, and a beam saber whoe hilt protruded from a compartment on the chest. The New Federation commissars looked at the new model, looking quite unimpressed.

"Cosmo Driver Frame available." Lahge declared. "Ready for docking, Fiona!"

"Acknowledge!" Fiona answered, her Argento Fighter already moving to get in position. "Proceed and connect with Cosmo Driver Frame!"

Just like what she had done for the Striker Frame, the small flying cockpit turned away from the Cosmo Driver Frame and slid into an opening in its abdomen. Azure bolts of energy connected the purple exoskeleton with the Argento Fighter's propulsors, and a screeching metal sound was heard as the connection was finalized. The Como Driver Frame's eyes lit up, as its right hand slid towards its chest and unsheathed a golden beam sword, getting into a fight pose a split second later.

"Docking complete!" Fiona signaled from her cockpit. "Excellence Cosmo Driver operative at maximum efficiency! Send me the drones any moment!"

Fiona's request was answered quickly: two more AI-controlled humanoid robots entered the battlefield... but those two, Fiona immediately noticed, were definitely not Mobile Suits: they were quite a bit smaller, no more than thirty feet tall, and more agile, with a dull lead-gray body and some sort of bayonet-armed guns in their hands. They also looked quite a bit more clunky compared to the Taurus, but at the same time, their weapons were more modern. Fiona recognized them as Aestivalis-types, combat robot created no more than five years earlier by Nergal, at the time one of the main companies producing weapons and space technologies, together with Anaheim Electronics. If Fiona recalled, it was Nergal who created the legendary Nadesico, the mobile battleship that had ended the conflict between the Earth and the Jupiter Empire. Now, the company was slowly sliding into anonimity, overshadowed by Anaheim and Morgenroete, but its revolutionary innovations, like the Distortion Field and the Phase Shift Engine, had allowed it to stay afloat, and it still had an important role in producing weapons.

Fiona narrowed her eyes. While smaller than a Zaku or a Taurus, Aestivalises were potentially dangerous opponents. "_Lucky for me these ones are mass-produced types..._" the redhead thought, watching the two smaller robots flying towards her. "_Had they been outfitted with a Distortion Field, I'd have had a far harder time. Thankfully, the Distortion Field is too expensive to be installed on such models..._"

As if the two Aestivalises had read her mind and decided to correct her, they pointed their gun at her and shot a volley of projectiles, which the Excellence Cosmo Driver managed to dodge only with a deft lateral dash. Fiona grit her teeth and took one of the guns hanging by her robot's side, just as the Nergal robots ceased fire and charged madly towards her. She quickly took aim and fired, shooting forth a yellow energy beam that pierced one of the smaller robots' chest, causing it to detonate. The other Aestivalis was too fast for her to do the same thing, though, and Fiona found herself madly dodging two deadly swipes from its bayonet, around which a strange, barely visible rainbow-colored aura was glowing. As the Cosmo Driver gained distance, using its beam sword to deflect the Aestivalis' blows, Fiona recalled the weapon's name for her studies, and especially remembered how dangerous it was!

"It's Field Lancer..." she murmured. "I'm not an expert on such things, but I do know it was created to pierce through defence mechanisms like the Distortion Field or the I-Field..."

The AI-piloted Aestivalis charged again, bringing its Lancer down on the Cosmo Driver, but Fiona managed to block the attack in time with her beam saber. Then, before the smaller robot could retaliate, the Cosmo Driver drew its arm back... and then punched forward, delivering a tremendous blow! The MP-Aestivalis was tossed backwards several yards, but managed to regain its flight asset and pointed its rifle to its opponent. A few beams of green energy exploded from the gun and sped towards the Cosmo Driver frame, who dodged sideways before countering.

"Alright then... Fairy System activated!" Fiona called, pressing a button on her cloche. Immediately, something happened that left all the New Federation inspectors stupefied - a small compart on the Cosmo Driver's back propellers slid open, and out came a swarm of small floating objects, each no more than two feet long, similar to small laser cannons held aloft by minuscule engines. Eight of these small weapons floated around the Excellence for a little while... before charging like a bunch of enraged wasps against the Aestivalis, whose AI seemed to be at a loss on how to deal with the situation. Before the Aestivalis could attempt to defend itself, the small cannons opened fire, showering the smaller combat robot with golden laser beams which penetrated its armor like a red-hot knife through butter. The unmanned robot stood transfixed for half a second and its eyes emitted a bright green light, as if it had been surprised by its defeat... and then it exploded, scattering its pieces all around the battlefield as the small cannons returned to the Cosmo Driver. Fiona quickly brushed the sweat off her forehead and sighed in relief.

"Phew! For AI-piloted units, they sure as Hell held back nothing..." she commented.

Inside the control room, Mitsuko grinned in satisfaction as she witnessed the Aestivalis' destruction. "Heh... I knew those automated beam guns would come in handy! My Fairy System has just proven itself!" she said to herself. Beside her, Lahge wordlessly nodded, and the New Federation commissars, Miwa included, gawked in wonder. What kind of weapon was that?

"Wha...?" Miwa mouthed, half in surprise, half in rage. "What the hell is this thing? I... I thought only those damn Neo Zeon rebels had the technology to create funnel-like weapons! Unless of course..." Almost foaming at the mouth, he turned to Lahge and Mitsuko and pointed at them accusingly. "Of course! There can be no other explanation! You and your little friends are damn Neo Zeon spies working for that Char Aznable bastard! And you're using Project Excellence as a decoy for creating weapons for those rebel scum! But I've found you out, and I'll send you to an execution squad, you have my word for it!"

Surprised and outraged at the baseless accusation, Mitsuko stood up and faced the overaggressive admiral, and Lahge simply adjusted his glasses. "You've come to hasty conclusions, admiral Sakimori. First and foremost, if we really had been developing weapons for Neo Zeon, we wouldn't want to show them to you, now would we? Moreover, we do not have access to the Psycomm technologies necessary to create funnel-type weapons, and even if we did, Fiona is not a Newtype. She could never use that kind of weapons... and, in any case, Neo Zeon does not look kindly upon the Oldtype, whose soul is, to quote them, held back by gravity..." the emerald-haired man explained. In front of his collectedness, barely tainted by some scorn towards Neo Zeon's philosophy, Miwa's outburst looked all the more ridiculous by comparison.

Silenced by the response, Miwa stepped backwards, boiling with rage. "W... What? How dare you speak to me like that! Don't you know who you're dealing with? I am an Admiral of the New Federation government, and I command respect! Why, I ought to have you all court-marshalled..." he raged, barely kept in check by the other inspectors.

"Please calm down, Admiral Sakimori. What Mr. Montoya is saying is true." one of the commissars answered. "All of Fiona Grayden's test to acknowledge her Newtype potential have turned out negative, and this research center has never had any known contact with Neo Zeon anyway." Then, turning to the operators. "Anyway, admittedly, these Fairies you have just shown us are oddly reminescent of the funnel-type weapons used by some of the first Neo Zeon Mobile Suits, such as the Qubeley or the Queen Mantha... not to say anything about ZAFT's Providence Gundam's DRAGOON pods. Have you taken inspiration from those?"

"To be fair... yes, we did." Mitsuko admitted, regaining the calm she had lost for half a second. "I always asked myself how it would be possible to create remote weapons for all-range combat, capable of attacking from all directions... without using a Psycomm system. This is another of the Time Shift Engine's advantages... it powers up these termoguided cannons, which I dubbed Fairies, and allows them to move on their own. This allows them to reach noticeable distances from the Excellence, and then return."

"An interesting idea, to be sure..." another inspector conceded. "Well, Ms. Seiki, Mr. Montoya... up until this point, the Excellence has given some pretty good results in single combat... but what if, for some reason, it had to fight off a large number of enemies surrounding it. In that case, would it be able to hold them off?"

Lahge slowly nodded. "We have thought of that as well. The Excellence Striker's armor is much more sturdy than that of any mass-produced Mobile Suit, and can easily withstand a mass attack. As for the Cosmo Driver, well... I think that, to better show its potential, another test cannot hurt.". That said, Lahge started another communication with the Cosmo Driver. "Listen, Fiona! For now, the test has been convincing, but the committee wants to see the Excellence's performace against a greater number of enemies. Are you ready for the next phase? You'll have to face a tougher challenge now..."

The red-haired girl nodded, gave an half-smile and winked. "Alright, Lahge! I'm already set. Send the drones, I just can't wait to vent my rage on their butts!" she answered, impatient to see a bit more of action. Mitsuko put her hand in frontof her mouth and giggled, as Lahge shook his head. Sometimes, he had an hard time understanding his childhood friend's hotheadedness...

"Alright, then..." he said in a sigh. "Mass attack simulation, squad 5 out. Fiona, I'd like to remind you once again that we're using live ammunition in these tests. Extreme care is needed."

"Alright!" Fiona answered from the Excellence's cockpit. A few seconds later, the hangars opened again, and a group of AI-controlled robot began pouring out of them and into the battlefield. Four Tauruses and two Aestivalises, armed with beam rifles and machine guns respectively. Apparently guided by a more advanced AI system, the opponents quickly moved to encircle the Excellence-C, creating a wall of steel and weapons around it. Fiona quickly looked both ways, as adrenalin began pumping in her veins and a shiver went through her arms and shoulders. Her fingers gripped the cloche almost by reflex, signaling her impatience to begin the battle...

And suddenly, out of the blue, a lone Taurus grabbed its beam rifle and fired a green beam against the Excellence-C. Fiona gasped in surprise and, acting by pure instinct, managed to dive sideways and avoid the beam by mere inches. Gritting her teeth, the young girl stabilized the Cosmo Driver and attempted to retaliate, but she was forced to stand back when the remaining five robots unleashed a barrage of light and bullets upon her, almost depriving her of any visual of the battlefield! Fiona almost shrieked in fear: she was not expecting such a violent onslaught from a bunch of AIs, even though the test was supposed to be as realistic as possible... the programs piloting those robots were acting with the intelligence and skill of a veteran pilot!

"Lahge" Fiona shouted in her communicator, trying to talk and dodge attacks at the same time. "What the heck are you doing there? What kind of instructions have you given those robots? I know the test is supposed to be realistic, but give me a break!"

When another window popped up on the Excellence C's screen, Fiona was shocked to see that her normaly cool and composed friend looked, in fact, very surprised and scared. "Lahge! Lahge, what's going...?"

"I... I have no idea, Fiona! I'm receiving values and instructions that do not match the normal patterns!" the bespectabled young man answered, trying and failing to get the situation back under control. In the background, the voices of the shocked and confused New Federation inspectors could be made out. "Those.. those robots... are moving on their own!"

Fiona felt her heart skip a beat. "Wh... WHAT? Are... are you joking? It's impossible... AI-piloted machines cannot act without instructions!" she shouted, barely blocking a Taurus' beam saber with her own as he desperately tried to stay away from another Taurus and an Aestivalis. The sheer numbers and fury of the attack were overwhelming her...

"Me... me too... the system has gone completely haywire!" a close-to-panicking Mitsuko exclaimed as her comm screen opened up beside Lahge's. "Something... has gained access to the drones' controlling computer system! We're under an informatic attack!"

"This is preposterous!" Lahge shot back. "This system is protected by the best firewalls and anti-virus programs available! It's completely hacking-proof! How could anyone gain access to it?"

That was just the last thing Fiona was thinking about, as she desperately tried to weather the Tauruses' and the Aestivalises' fury. The Excellence C gripped its golden beam saber and slashed a Taurus' arm apart, making the Mobile Suit gave way, as if surprised by the fact that it had been mutilated. The other robots kept attacking, avoiding to hit their damaged "companion" with the cold precson only a machine could have.

"If this keeps up, we'll be wiped out!" Fiona shouted. "What a real battletest!"

As soon as she pronounced these words, a strange, rumbling and supernatural voice boomed around, drowning even the chaos of the battle and chilling the girl to the bone.

"**MISTAKES DO EXIST, REGARDLESS OF HOW WE TRY TO AVOID THEM. AND AS MISTAKES EXIST, SO DOES THE TRUTH.**"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Notes

And here starts the real meat of the story! I hope I made you interested with this battle... and we're going to see more soon!

On the other hand... Well, I thought it was only fair to let you know which series will be taking part in this crossover...

_Zeta Gundam_

_Gundam ZZ_

_Gundam: Char's Counter Attack_

_G Gundam_

_Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz_

_Gundam SEED_

_Martian Successor Nadesico_

_Code Geass_

_Metal Armor Dragonar_

_Masoukishin: Lord of Elementals_ (why, yes, that means we'll be seeing Masaki, Shuu and the others!)

_Mazinger Z_

_Great Mazinger_

_Getter Robo G_

_Combattler V_

_Voltes V_

_Daimos_

_Dancougar_

_Daitarn 3_

_Zambot 3_

_Gear Fighter Dendoh_

_Gravion_

In the second part, after a time skip, some of these series will be gone, to be replaced by others:

_Gundam SEED Destiny_

_Victory Gundam_

_Brain Powerd_

_Overman King Gainer_

_Aura Battler Dunbine_

_Code Geass R2_

_Galaxy Cyclone Bryger_

_Gaiking: Legend of Daiku-Maryu_

_GUNxSWORD_

_Dancougar Nova_

_Mazinkaiser_

_Grendizer_

_Dai-Guard_

I know, I know, its quite a lot of series... told you it was an ambitious project! As for pairings, I still haven't made up my mind, but most canon pairings will be kept... for Gundam SEED, though, I'll be using Kira / Flay, Athrun / Cagalli and Shinn / Stellar. I'm already positive on this, and I'm not changing my mind. Sorry.

Well, that's it for now! Tae care, everyone, and see you next time!


	3. Chapter 3

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**Introduction: And finally, here is the new chapter of my Super Robot Wars story! Some canon characters will appear in this chapter, although the circumstances they will be in may sound strange to some of you. Worry not, because it will all be explained later...**

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**ooooooooo**

**Chapter 2 - Unexpected Aid**

"**MISTAKES, NO MATTER HOW ONE TRIES TO AVERT THEM, DO EXIST. AND AS MISTAKES EXIST, SO DOES THE TRUTH**."

"WHAT? Who... who are you? What do you mean by that?" Fiona frantically looked around, trying to somehow keep the pace of the automated combat robots that, now beyond all control, were focusing all their fury on her. The Tauruses kept shooting their lasers, forcing the girl to desperately zigzag among the beams of light. Luckily for her, the Excellence C was quite nimble and was able to avoid all attacks, but Fiona still couldn't find the time to stop and unleash a counterattack. Cursing to herself, the redhead deployed her Fairies, and the small funnel-like guided cannons flew from the back compartment, in front of the Excellence, and opened fire with deadly precision" Three Tauruses and one Aestivalis, the latter coming forth to try and attack directly, were pierced by the Fairies' laser beams and exloded, allowing Fiona to breathe a momentary sigh of relief.

"So?" Fiona called again for the mysterious speaker. "I'm asking you again... wh the Hell are you? Show yourself! You're the one responsible for all this mess, aren't you?". Much to her disappointment, the girl saw more unmanned units of various models coming out of the hangars... and towards both her and the research center!

"I AM THE ONE WHO BEHOLDS MISTAKES. I AM THE ONE WHO COMMITS MISTAKES. I AM..." the disembodied voice started answering, cutting itself short just when it seemedto be about to give its name. Not that Fiona cared too much, at that point, since she had seen a group of Tauruses and Zakus coming dangerously close to the laboratories - exactly the rooms where Lahge and Mitsuko were at that moment! The brave redhead almost choked in worry for her only friends and tried to reach the offending Mobile Suits, recalling her Fairies before they cold fire more shots... but the small thermoguided cannons were stillbusy with other enemy units coming from all directions! Now, the numbe of attackers had risen by about a dozen... and it didn't seem to be about to decrease, since whenever one was taken down, another took its place.

"D-damn... is there no end to these guys?" Fiona exclaimed as she unsheathed her beam saber to parry a mass-poduced Aestivalis' Field Lancer. The smaller robot had managed to dodge the Fairies' attacks, but the Excellence C, with a little effort, was able to push it away from itself and took advantage of its moment of unbalance to skewer it with its sword. The Aestivalis collapsed in a heap, but a Zaku and a Taurus were immediately upon Fiona, who was forced to once more forsake the research center to defend herself. In frustration and despair, Fiona managed to open a communication with her friends and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"LAHGE! MITSUKO! Get out of there, now! Don't worry about me, I'll manage somehow! RUN AWAY!"

"I KNEW IT!" Chief Miwa practically roared, as he saw the approaching Mobile Suits, halfway between furiously angry and in blind panic. "I knew these Montoya Research Labs were just a damn bunch of outlaws and traitors! They set this all up to get us killed! I'm sending you straight to court-martial and I'm having you hanged, you dirty alien-loving scum! You will not get away with this, YOU HEAR ME?"

Lahge and Mitsuko were too busy working at their consoles, in a desperate attempt at getting the situation back under control, to really care about the fanatic General's words... and other two inspectors were needed to put the screaming madman under control.

"Admiral Sakimori, you will calm yourself!" one of the inspectors exclaimed, as he started dragging the furious admiral towards the automated doors of the lab. The other New Federation military agents were already pouring out into the corridor. "Now, all we can do is get away from this place and go back to our shuttle! So please calm yourself and follow me!"

"Hey, hold on a second there!" Mitsuko screamed in panic, raising her head from the consoles. "What... what are you trying to do? You can't leave us here alone without..."

She was denied the chance to complete her sentence, as Miwa and the restraining officer had already gone through the sliding metal doors, which then closed behind them... and locked automatically, leaving the two young researchers stranded in the control room... which was dangerously close to being destroyed! Mitsuko felt her blood run cold: those so-called "important people" had abandoned them to their fate without thinking twice, only attempting to save themselves!

"I... I... can't... believe it..." the young purple-haired girl murmured, trembling in fear. "We... we... will have to... die here? Wait... wait a moment... I... I'm not ready yet... I don't want to... I don't want to end like that... FIONA, HELP US! PLEASE, HELP US!"

Outside, the Excellence C dodged a beam saber thrust from a Taurus and quickly struck back with its own saber, skewering the automated MS's engine. As the Taurus fell, Fiona deftly sprinted backwards and sent two of her Fairies to distract the enemy... then, she took advantage of the brief moment of reprise to reach the labs and crouch towards it, making it so that the cockpit was more or less at the same height of the windows. Sure, it wasn't the easiest or safest escape method... but considering the situation, there was no time to think of anything else! Lahge and Mitsuko's only hope was to pray they wouldn't get exposed to the external void...

"Quick, Lahge! Mitsuko! Climb on board! I don't know how much longer I can hold against these things!" Fiona exclaimed, as an emergency door opened on the side of the Excellence C's head, near the place where the two young researchers were. "Shatter that window and climb on board the Excellence-C! It's our only hope!"

Seeing their mutual friend offering her a way out of that predicament seemed to assuage Mitsuko's panic attack, and the young researcher swalloed some saliva and calmed down before turning to Lahge. "F-Fiona... I'm so glad... you came... All... alright then, we're coming! Lahge! Lahge, what are we waiting for?"

"Just a moment, I'm coming!" the bespectacled young man answered. He had reached a still-functioning console and entered a combination of keys... then, he grabbed a still-smoldering pipe that had fallen a few moments before, and reached the glass screen the Excellence C was close to. With a brief yell, the boy smashed the glass open and pushed both himself and Mitsuko inside the tunnel to the combat robot's cockpit. The hatch opened briefly, just enough to allow the two researchers to slide down to the cockpit without being harmed by the external void, then the door silently slid shut and the Excellence C quickly stood up, just in time to avoid a machine gun barrage from one of the MP Aestivalises...

"Kyah!" Mitsuko screamed. "Fi... Fiona! Thank heavens, I don't think I and Lahge could ever repay you enough for this! You... you saved us all!"

"No problem, Mitsuko... but it all still rides on me! If I can't get past these guys, it will be all for nothing anyway!" Fiona answered as she tried to find a comfortable position on her seat. The cockpit had been made for a single pilot, and now there were three people inside... which meant that the red-haired pilot barely had enough space to move her cloche around!

"Don't worry, Fiona..." Lahge reassured her, attempting to squeeze as much as possible, while keeping his glasses on. "Before we evacuated... I managed to send an SOS signal... If... if there is someone close enough to come to help us... hopefully they will intervene!"

"Hmph... yeah, like those guys, for instance?" Fiona cynically growled. On one of the Excellence C's screens, the New Federation shuttle could be seen speeding away from the battle, taking the Federation agents with it! Seeing those people abandon them like that, Fiona couldn't help bursting in an array of unladylike insults, without too much regard for the ears of anyone nearby! "You miserable assholes! Go, save your sorry asses without giving a crap of anyone else, will you? What was I expecting from New Federation officers, anyway? I hope you all die!"

"Don't think about them, Fiona! Don't get distracted, or we won't last long against those!" Lahge exclaimed. Fiona turned her attention back to the battlefield, seeing a group of Tauruses and Aesivalises getting past the Fairies' cover fire. Biting down a curse, Fiona had the Excellence C take off again, giving herself and her friends a temporary respite. But as she did so, the cockpit shook, sending Lahge and Mitsuko to slam comically against the cockpit's walls!

"Kyah! Look where you're touching!" Mitsuko shouted, feeling something on her back...

"Lahge! You're touching Mitsuko's hips! Keep your hands down!" Fiona protested as she saw where her male friend's hands had involuntarily gone...

Lahge blushed in embarassment and tried to detach himself from the wall... but because of the restricted space and the continuous rocking, it turned out to be quite difficult! "Ugh... sorry, sorry! It was an accident... but let's not talk about this now! They're coming at us!"

In fact, as Fiona could plainly see, some Taurus and Aestivalis units had taken off as well, as were trying to close the distance to avoid the Fairies. Fiona unsheathed her beam saber once again and ran it through an Aestivalis, before sending it hurtling towards the Moon surface, where it exploded in a huge red fireball. Even so, the number of attackers was still too high for them to handle...

"Dammit, if this keeps up..." Fiona swore...

...but she had no time to follow up before a powerful laser beam, coming from somewhere to her left, struck the Aestivalis nearest to her dead center and destroyed it! With a startled yelp, Fiona turned in that direction...

The attacker had been a custom-model blue Aestivalis armed with the model's traditional weapons - a Rapid Rifle, a dagger for close combat and a two-handed Field Lancer, but the slight shine of the Distortion Field could be seen around its body as it sped towards the remains of the lunar base. After a moment of silent surprise, Fiona thanked fate for sending that blue Aestivalis in their aid...

"_Looks like we came just in time, huh_?" a self-assured boyish voice rang out from Fiona's speaker. "_We received your emergency call, and thought we might as well give you a hand here_!"

"Er... much appreciated, we were actually starting to sweat here!" Fiona answered, trying to get visual contact with the other pilot. The AI-piloted units had stopped briefly, as if to evaluate the unexpected situation... which gave Fiona and the newcomer all the time to organize themselves.

A comm window opened up on Fiona's screens, showing the smiling face of a long-haired blond boy with a red curl of hair descending on his forehead and wearing the typical uniform of the New Federation's Aestivalis pilots. As he saw Fiona, the young man saluted briskly and winked, trying to act as charming as possible!

"_It's always a pleasure for me to save a damsel in distress! And her friends too, while I'm at it_!" was his introduction. "_Takasugi Saburouta of the Nadesico-B... at your service_!"

"Nadesico-B?" Lahge parroted uncertainly before noticing another dot on the Excellence C's radar. An elongated, dynamic-looking battleship, completely white with blue and grey trimming, was closing in, very much resembling the legendary Nadesico, the mobile battleship that had put an end to the Earth-Jovian war five years earlier. It appeared that the first model had had success, and the New Federation was fielding a new one...

Saburouta turned his attention to the group of automated Tauruses and Aestivalises, pointing his Rapid Rifle at them. "So... here are the felons trying to hurt the lady, huh?" he asked retorically. "Very well then, guess I'll have to rough you up a little!"

oooooooooo

Onboard the Nadesico-B, a young black-haired boy sitting at the comm officer's position did not seem very pleased with Saburouta's words. "Lt. Saburouta!" he exclaimed with some indignation. "I thought you Jovian Union pilots were serious and brave soldiers!"

"_Well, am I not being brave, in this moment_?" Saburouta answered with a light-hearted shrug. Needless to say, this did not assuage the black-haired boy's frustration, but he didn't get the time to answer to that, as the person sitting in the captain's seat spoke before him: a young girl not much older than fourteen, with long silver hair tied in a pair of pigtails at the sides of her head, large amber eyes, extremely pale complexion, and a serious, mysterious and at the same times melanchonic demeanor. There was something about her that immediately denounced her as someone different from any other human.

"Lt. Saburouta, I'm counting on you." she said, much to her black-haired peer's displeasure.

"But... captain!" he tried to protest. But the young silver-haired girl ignored him and started communicating with the Excellence C by simply moving her gloved hands on the console.

"This is High Mobile Battleship Nadesico B, of the New Earth Federation's Fourth Fleet. Captain Ruri Hoshino speaking." she said. "You sent that SOS message earlier, did you not?"

"_We're going to have to explain things later_..." Lahge answered. "_For now... could you please help us out? We're barely managing to keep ourselves alive with this prototype_!"

"Acknowledge." Ruri answered. "Lt. Saburouta, aid the unidentified unit. We'll act as long distance support."

oooooooooo

"Er... sorry, Lahge, are you really sure we can trust these guys?" A slightly bewildered Fiona asked. "I mean, not that I'm not thankful, but they seem a little... out there to me, that's all!"

"Well, Fiona, there's someone else coming, if you're interested in that." Mitsuko answered, as a few more dots lit up on the radar, coming from the opposite direction of the Nadesico B. "Another battleship and a few Mobile Suits are being detected at the moment... though I really don't recognize the models..."

"What?" Fiona asked, as she turned in the direction of the newcomers. A large white battleship, reminescent of the famous White Base, was approaching slowly, and in front of it were a trio of speedy mobile weapons: a white jet-like fighter with blue and red trimming; a shining white Gundam with a pair of deep-blue mechanical wings and matching decorations on its hips and ankles; and a red Gundam with black trimming on its chest, knees and lower legs. Both Gundams were armed with beam rifles and had the typical V-shaped antenna on their foreheads...

The jet sped forwards and shot a barrage of missiles against the automated units, striking down a Taurus and a pair of Aestivalis... and when the two Gundams got close enough, they opened fire as well, greatly reducing the enemy units' numbers. Surprised by the three pilots' skill - obviously superior to her own - Fiona almost didn't see that one of them was trying to communicate with her. When she finally opened the connection, she saw a young man approaching his thirties appearing on the screen. His reddish-brown hair was short and somewhat curly, and his face gave a vibe of experience, confidence and a still-visible innocence.

"_To the unidentified unit. You were the ones who sent that distress call_." The young man, obviously the pilot of the plane-like robot, began. "_This is Captain Amuro Ray of Terminal, affiliated to the Neo Earth Federation and designated pilot of the Re-GZ. We have come to help_."

Two more comm windows opened up, showing the helmeted faces of two younger men - a brunet with deep purple eyes and a strangely harmless and gentle look for a professional pilot; and a blue-haired boy about the same age, with green eyes and a more professional, yet still gentle, demeanor. "_Lt. Kira Yamato speaking. Pilot of the Freedom Gundam and member of Terminal_." the brown-haired boy hailed the Excellence C's pilot.

"_Lt. Athrun Zala speaking. Former member of ZAFT forces, and now affiliated to Terminal as well_." the blue-haired pilot introduced himself. "_Pilot of the Saviour Gundam. We can wait for the details later_."

"Roger!" Mitsuko answered. "But be careful! Although they're piloted by AI, those training dummies are armed with live ammunition!"

"_Acknowledge_!" Amuro answered. "_Yamato, Zala, support me. We have to take out all enemy units_."

"_Roger_!" the younger pilots answered in unison. The Freedom Gundam attacked first, shooting a barrage of multicolored lasers from various cannons on its body. The outdated Mobile Suits and the Aestivalises were completely outclassed... and in fact, a few fractions of second later, most of them were struck by the beams and wiped out! The few survivors were quickly annihilated by the beam cannon on the Re-GZ's nozzle and by the Saviour Gundam's beam rifle... and those who had kept fighting against the Excellence C and Saburouta's blue Aestivalis had no better luck, as they had lots the advantage of overwhelming numbers, and both Fiona and Saburouta were far too skilled for a few simple AIs.

Saburouta easily deflected a pair of Tauruses' beam sabers and, with a lightning-quick, almost impossible to see, movement, he unsheathed his Aestivalis' combat knife and plunged it deep into the screen-like face of the nearest Taurus. The OZ Mobile Suit's internal computer shut down immediately, sending the Taurus tumbling to the lunar surface... and one second later, Saburouta pointed his Rapid Rifle against his opponents and fired a devastating salvo, just as the Excellence C pointed a pair of guns against the last remaining MP-Aestivalis. Fiona opened fire with both guns, striking with lethal accuracy, and the enemy Aestivalis blew up with a satisfying firework, putting an end to that unexpected battle.

"Phew... that was really close!" Fiona breathed in relief as he collapsed on her pilot seat, exhausted. "We were lucky those two ships managed to intercept our distress call... but I'm afraid the research center is lost. Those automated units did quite a number on it..."

Fiona moved her robot's main camera to show what had happened to the research center... and both Lahge and Mitsuko, especially the latter, were horrified by what they saw: very little of their labs had remained standing, and most of the data contained in the memory bank had been destroyed along with them. Pretty much all the data gathered from the trial flight of the Excellence C before that strange disembodied voice intervened were irrevocably lost...

"My... my data... our research..." a distraught Mitsuko murmured, her hand clenched into a fist near her heart. "I... I can't believe it, we risked our lives for this test... and nothing remains!"

"We're still alive and our research data have not been completely destroyed, we should count our blessings..." the more rational Lahge answered, holding what looked like a red USB pen between his left thumb and index. "And... what we've lost today, we can make up for in another occasion."

"Yeah, Lahge, I think that will make Mitsuko feel better... really..." Fiona muttered sarcastically. "Anyway, Mitsuko, let's not cry over split milk here. I have taken the liberty of using the Excellence's internal CPU to record the data myself... so, all in all, the damage is minimal. The problem is, that now we don't have a research base anymore..."

"_We could help you with that_." Fiona heard the voice of the Nadesico B's captain, the mysterious silver-haired girl named Ruri Hoshino. "_We may not know the specifics, but we do know that your labs were researching some very important topics. Now that you've lost your base, we could help you. Obviously, if this is okay with you and our Terminal colleagues. Hari-kun, could you hail the Terminal battleship_?"

"_Yes, Captain Hoshino_!" the young second-in-command answered. Fiona, Lahge and Mitsuko waited a few seconds for the communication to be broadcast to the other battleship... and sure enough, another comm window popped up besides Ruri's showing the captain of the Terminal ship - a tall black-haired man with a serious demeanor whose facial traits betrayed his Western Europe ancestry (a part of the world not fondly remembered, as it had often been a past victim of Blue Cosmos' depredations), wearing a decorated uniform indicating his high rank in the semi-governative organization known as Terminal - a group founded after the second battle at Jachin Due, playing a fundamental role in stemming the ambitions of Char Aznable's Neo Zeon and Gilbert Durandal's ZAFT.

There was no mistaking him: he was the famous Captain Bright Noa, the commander of the White Base, the Argama and the Near Argama!

"_Captain Hoshino_?" Bright answered Ruri's call. He didn't seem surprised by the Nadesico captain's young age, which confirmed to both Fiona and his friends that they were at least familiar with each other. "_We have some place for the refugees on the Ral Kairam, and I'm sure Lady Lacus would consent as well. However, I'd prefer to give the lab personnel freedom of choice. Either way, my suggestion would be for you to pick them up, as you do seem to be somewhat short on pilots_."

"_Heh... that's true, you know_?" Saburouta commented. "_My Aestivalis is worth two or three of them, but I still remain the only pilot on board the Nadesico B. I kinda feel lonely_..."

Mitsuko couldn't help but giggle a little at this. To be a professional pilot of the former Jupiter Empire, that guy was kind of easygoing...

"_What did you say about this, unknown unit_?" Ruri finally asked, as Amuro's Re-GZ and the Freedom and Saviour Gundam retreated slightly, never straying too far from the Ral Kairam. They seemed to be waiting for Fiona and her friends to decide... and the red-haired girl looked at Lahge and Mitsuko as if to ask for their advice.

"Well, Fiona, if you ask me... we'd better go with the Nadesico B... that's that battleship's name, right?" Mitsuko answered. "Lahge, what do you think about it?"

The bespectacled young man looked uninterested in such discussions, as long as someone could take them out of hot water. "I'm fine with whatever you decide." he affirmed.

Fiona nodded, before answering to Ruri and her second-in-command. "Alright then, Nadesico B. The Excellence C's crew accepts your offer, and proceeds to docking with your ship. Thanks for your aid."

"_Roger, Excellence C crew. Hari, prepare the hangars for their approach. Lt. Saburouta, escort the unit to the Nadesico _B." Ruri answered, once again showing few traces of emotion. "_Crew of the Ral Kairam, we are thankful for your offer. We will take care of the refugees ourselves_."

"_Alright then_." Bright answered. "_We'll pray for the success of your mission, and we'll trust you with the safety of the refugees. Re-GZ, Freedom, Saviour, return to the ship. We're resuming our mission_."

"_Roger that, Captain Bright_." Athrun, the pilot of the Saviour Gundam, answered. "_We wish the Nadesico B's crew a safe continuation as well_."

"_Good luck to you all_." Amuro concluded, as the Re-GZ and the two Gundams flew back to the Ral Kairam.

"_Hehee... well, if it isn't good luck for us_!" Saburouta commented as the Ral Kairam's pilots went back to their ship. "_It is rare to save two beautiful girls in the middle of the cold, uncaring space. Do not worry, you and your friend are in good hands! I'm sure you'll find yourselves confortable on the Nadesico B_!"

Fiona was still unsure what to make of that guy. "Er... we're very thankful for that! And... we do hope there can be support between our teams!"

As the Excellence C floated towards the Nadesico B, Saburouta's Super Aestivalis on tow, Fiona, Lahge and Mitsuko found themselves wondering what they had gotten themselves into, and how all that would have turned out...

****

TO BE CONTINUED

Author's Note: A minor note, but... you'll notice that I added a few elements to canon, like for example the Taurus' beam saber which that particul type of Mobile Suit never used in Gundam Wing. Consider that my way of adding things that - in my humble opinion - make sense. I'll try not to stray too much from canon, though.

****

There! That's all for this episode! Wait patiently for the next one, where we'll meet some of this story's villains!


	4. Chapter 4

**Super Robot Taisen S**

**Chapter 4 - Towards Amaterasu**

The sliding doors opened silently, allowing Fiona, Lahge, Mitsuko and Lt. Saburouta to access the main bridge of the Nadesico B, where Captain Ruri Hoshino, already at her command seat, and her second-in-command Hari Makibi were already waiting for them. The red-haired pilot's first impression was that the new battleship was state-of-the-art, for having been built by the New Earth Federation: sleek, clean, with no components out of place, well-illuminated... although, it had to be said, somewhat unsettling in its apparent perfection. She wouldn't have been surprised if someone told her that the ship was completely controlled by an automated system...

But such consideration could be postponed for later. As the small party walked into the large room, the doors sliding closed behind them, Ruri and Hari stood up and climbed down from their seats to introduce themselves to the refugees... who, in turn, straightened themselves and saluted, which the silver-haired teenage girl quickly reciprocated.

"I ought to introduce myself once more. Major Ruri Hoshino, Captain of the high mobile battleship Nadesico B, of the New Earth Federation's Fourth Fleet." she said. "As for what concerns you... through I quick research, I could ascertain that you are part of the Robotic Weapon Research branch of the same Armed Forces."

"That is correct, captain Hoshino... although it was never our intention to join that branch of the army, we never had much of a choice in the matter, in order to continue our research." Mitsuko answered. "My name is Mitsuko Saiki. My duty is to supervise the Excellence's frames' mechanical problems and assembling."

"My name is Lahge Montoya." Lahge continued. "I've been charged with verifying the Excellence's actual potential in battle."

"And as for me... I'm the Excellence's pilot. Fiona Grayden." Fiona concluded. "Captain Hoshino, if I may ask a question... Don't you know if there are any more survivors?"

"Both the Nadesico B and the Ral Kairam have had the area scouted, yet no survivors have been located. Unless we count a New Earth Federation shuttle getting away from the fighting." Hari explained, after receiving a nod from Ruri. Fiona noticed that the black-haired boy seemed to be looking for the captain's approval... "We still managed to salvage a red frame... If I'm not mistaken, it's one of your machine's components, is it not?"

"Yeah... obviously the Striker Frame..." Mitsuko sighed dejectedly. So, all the other frames had been lost. "Guess it's the only one that escaped the destruction... and it won't do us much good in space..."

"Don't be so negative, Mitsuko... I'm sory, but those can always be rebuilt, right?" Fiona tried to encourage her friend, although she noticed, much to her chagrin, that she probably wasn't doing much of a good job at that...

Luckily, Mitsuko seemed to at least appreciate her attempt to cheer her up, and managed a small smile. "Yeah, I know... we're still alive, and that's what really matters..."

"Very well then... allow me to introduce you to my crew." Ruri went on, now pointing at Hari with her eyes. "This is Lt. Hari Makibi, vice-captain of this ship."

"And as for me... I'm vice-commander Tarasugi Saburouta... but you already knew that much, I'd say!" the blonde former Jovian soldier boasted. "Anyway, if you're looking for an ace pilot, you found him!"

Once again, Hari was irritated by the taller man's haughty attitude, and shot him a glare. "Truth be told, you're just a Lieutenant..." he blurted out, earning himself a reaction that could best be described as fake cluelessness.

"So what? Is there a problem if I'm just a Lieutenant? You say that like it's a bad thing..." Saburouta answered.

Hari sighed in exasperation. Once again, he was starting it... and in front of their guests, no less! "No, I have nothing to say about your merits or your rank!" the young boy replied. "It's the attitude that's a problem!"

Ruri closed her eyes. "If his skills are good enough, then the personality is inconsequential." she said in an almost deadpan voice, putting an end to the argument. Hari grit his teeth and turned his head elsewhere, murmuring that even the attitude should have counted for something... but in the end, he was the underling and the youngest member of the crew... all the decisions were the captain's to make.

"Captain Hoshino, if I may..." Mitsuko said, lightly raising her hand. Ruri looked at her and signaled her to speak, and the girl cleared her throat before asking her question. "So, what about us? What are we supposed to do now?"

Ruri seemed to hesitate for a second before answering. "At the moment, the Nadesico B is travelling to the colony of Amaterasu." she answered, looking at an orbital map visible on a screen a few metres above their heads. "As soon as we get these, you'll be handed over to agents of the New Earth Federation, who will later bring you back to Earth. However, before that happens, I have something to ask of you."

"Tell us, captain Hoshino. How can we be of some use?" Fiona asked back, already imagining what the young silver-haired captain was trying to say.

"At the moment, the New Earth Federation is facing a lot of problems from various sides." Ruri explained, trying to resume the situation. "Terrorists attacking the colonies adhering to the Hisago Plan, and the attacks of the combined forces of the second Neo Zeon insurrection and ZAFT are just the latest in a long string of misfortunes. It is highly likely that the Nadesico B will be attacked during its journey, or during its stay on the colony. Therefore, I wanted to ask you to lend us your machine's aid and fight for us, at least until we can hand you back to the competent authorities..."

Fiona narrowed her eyes and looked at her companions, already imagining that they wouldn't be too pleased with that. However, they were also aware that there wasn't much of a choice... considering the situation, the most they could do was try to make themselves useful to their rescuers and fight on their behalf. At least, this way they could gather more data on the Excellence's combat abilities, which would earn it some brownie points with the New Federation agents...

"That's... not exactly how I imagined we could use the Excellence frames..." Lahge affirmed. "But right now, I guess it really can't be helped... alright, Fiona, that means we'll fight by these guys' side."

"I agree with that as well." Mitsuko put her two cents in. "Fiona, you feel free to take your own decision."

The red-headed female pilot smiled to herself and put her hands on her hips. "Alright then... guess there isn't much choice at the moment, huh?" she asked retorically. "Okay, Captain Hoshino, we're ready to fight on your behalf. We'll wash your hands and you wash ours, so to speak!"

Once again, Ruri's pale, delicate face barely changed expression. "We are thankful to you for that. We believe your support will be invaluable to complete our mission." she answered. "It is our hope that our task will proceed smoothly, in any event."

"Same goes for us." was Lahge's answer. "But, if I'm not too nosy about it, may I ask what's happening in the Amaterasu colonies? We've been enclosing ourselves in that research center for much of our lives and we're not... how to put it... not really up to date with the most recent happenings."

"I see." Ruri answered. "If that is the case, allow me to make a resume: recently, some very serious incidents have happened in the colonies adhering to the Hisago Plan, a project whose aim is to create a new, faster and safer way for space travel through some breakthrough technologies..."

oooooooooo

The Ral Kairam, after the brief encounter near the lunar base, had proceeded on its way, pushing its engines almost to their limits to catch up on their time schedule. It seemed quite clear that their mission was of the utmost importance, and therefore no more distractions were needed. At the moment, Amuro, Kira and Athrun were on the command bridge nearby Captain Bright Noa, and were all keeping an eye on the instruments, as if expecting some anomaly at a moment's notice...

"The situation is still under control, Captain Bright." a member of the crew reported, still keeping his eyes on the navigation instruments, and turning an occasional glance to the commander and the three ace pilots. "As of now, no abnormal activity has been detected on Luna-5. The object is continuing its journey towards the point of stoppage limit at the usual speed. Some Neo-Zeon and ZAFT units have been reported in the vicinities, but they do not seem to be undertaking offensive or defensive actions as of now."

"This isn't going to last long, that much is clear." Bright affirmed thoughtfully. "This may pose a problem. The Mobile Suits we have at the moment fall short of the capabilities of the Neo-Zeon / ZAFT alliance's mobile weapon, especially those used by their aces."

"Unfortunately, that much is true..." Kira answered, anxiously looking at his best friend standing nearby. His brown hair swayed slightly as he used a hand to comb back a bang falling on his purple eyes. "The Freedom Gundam is no competition with the new Destiny Gundam and Legend Gundam, and I'm afraid the Saviour will fare no better..."

Unfortunately, that was a given. Even Terminal's most advanced and powerful Gundams had their limits... and they were rapidly being left in the dust by ZAFT's powerful new Gundams, piloted by aces Shinn Asuka and Rey Za Burrel. "From what I heard, Anaheim is developing a new Gundam model, with an attack system similar to the DRAGOON or Funnels... and Terminal is completing a new pair of nuclear-powered Gundams..." Amuro said, trying to lighten the atmosphere at least a little. After all, since the war between the New Earth Federation and the Neo-Zeon / ZAFT alliance had begun, the Federation had been in dire straits, and the fact that no faction on Earth had managed to come up with matching weapons meant that Earth itself was nearing disaster... especially considering what Neo Zeon's objective was!

"New Gundam models?" asked a curious Athrun. If that was true, it would have meant a bit of a break for Terminal, and a slightly higher chance of victory.

Amuro nodded. "Yes... from what I could gather, they're known as RX-93 Nu Gundam, ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam, and ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice Gundam." the Newtype ace answered. "But the testing is not yet completed, and I will be present myself for the final calibration of the Nu Gundam. Which means that, up until then, we'll have to make do with what we have."

"I see... provided we do last long enough to receive the new Gundams..." Athrun whispered to himself, his shoulder-length blue hair swaying gently on his face. Once again, he was finding himself fighting against an home country that had manipulated and betrayed him... a thought that continued to gnaw at the blue-haired young man's soul, upsetting and distracting him...

With a good hunch about what his best friend's thoughts might have been, Kira placed a hand on Athrun's shoulder for support, which managed to at least assuage some of the former ZAFT ace's inner turmoils. "Don't worry, Athrun... you know you can always count on me and Cagalli, whenever you feel the need!" Kira told him, referring to Athrun's girlfriend and former princess of the fallen kingdom of Orb.

Athrun nodded and managed a small, gentle smile, grateful for the support. "I know... thanks, Kira, hadn't it been for you and Cagalli... I don't know what I'd be doing right now!"

"Hehee... well, that makes us even, I'd say... I wouldn't be here myself if I hadn't met you and Lacus..." Kira answered, with a brief chuckle that managed to lift everyone's spirits a little, even managing a smile out of the serious veterans, Amuro and Bright. And yet, Kira's voice had a melanchonic edge to it... he was obviouly remembering all the people who had died in past struggles, and whose sacrifice was threatened by the new war brewing...

"Captain Bright! Luna-5 has begun accelerating!" The voice of a pretty red-haired teenage girl came from one of the consoles: she was quite pretty, with bright red hair flowing down her back, wearing a snug shirt and long marroon pants with almost-matching boots. That was Meyrin Hawke, a former member of ZAFT military just like Athrun, who had helped the blue-haired young man in his escape when it had become clear that he was being used like a pawn by his leader. Meyrin's situation was quite complicated as well, in fact, considering her older sister Lunamaria, the person Meyrin cared about the most, was herself a ZAFT ace... and as of then, she still hadn't been convinced that ZAFT didn't have good intentions. On the contrary, Lunamaria seemed to believe that the agents of Terminal were terrorists and had brainwashed Meyrin and Athrun into working for them...

"Alright, Crewman Hawke, excellent job!" Bright said, turning to the young bridge bunny. "Can you tell us more about the enemy's position?"

"Mobile Suits assuming combat positions around Luna-5... I think they're preparing for defense!" Meyrin answered, giving a quick look to her radar. "I can see that there are a pair of Nazca-class cruisers guarding the asteroid's sides... and two another battleships, quite probably the Mussaka and the Minerva, are slowly approaching the site!"

"I see... they really don't want us to blast that rock apart before the stoppage limit..." Amuro murmured. "Alright, we'd probably be better off sending some Dummies to confound their radars, and move to flank them."

"We'll try to concentrate our forces on one side, and attack as soon as they're sufficiently distracted by the Dummies." Bright continued. "All the pilots, prepare for launch. To all operators, keep monitoring Luna-5 and warn us of every variation in its movement. Helmsman, try to get some distance for now. We want to advance undetected as much as possible."

"Acknowledge!" everyone answered almost in unison, as Amuro, Kira and Athrun rushed to the hangars, ready to climb on board their Mobile Suits...

Another hard battle was afoot, with the Earth's fate hanging in the balance...

oooooooooo

But while preparatives for a terrible battle were being made on Terminal's side, and the tension was reaching critical levels... on the other side, on board the ZAFT battleship named Minerva, a peculiar debate was going on between two of the greatest minds behind the war, at the moment seated at the opposite sides of a chessboard whose white and black pieces were carefully laid on the playfield. A moderate, soothing light was pervading the room, allowing the two to concentrate on their game... and, at the same time, on the ongoing debate. At the side of each man, there was a small gathering of captured pieces. They seemed to be evenly matched, and even a chess expert would probably have had trouble predicting which of the two would probably have won.

The man moving the black pieces looked attentively at his pawns... then, with extreme care, he moved one of his bishops, taking it way from his opponent's knight and stopping a pawn before it could reach the other side of the chessboard and be promoted. Even at a first glance, it was obvious that this man was gifted with incredible charisma, willpower and intelligence, and he had an air of consummate leadership despite only being a little over thirty years old: tall, with a well-developed physique, he was wearing a red uniform with golden trimmings, knee-high black military boots, and some sort of chest armor with a golden eagle drawn on a black field. His blond hair was orderly combed, enhancing his already impressive appearence, and his bright green eyes were almost shining with the force of his personality. His handsomeness was only slightly perturbed by a small scar between his eyes, on the bridge of his nose... and even that was somehow enhancing his charm and magnetism.

"What I am trying to say," he explained, while at the same time keeping a wary eye on the chessboard. "...is, our operations with Luna-5 are just the beginning of Neo-Zeon's final project. The forced migration of the whole poulation of Earth in space, which will favor the awakening of the latent Newtype potential in all human beings. Luna-5, on its own, is insufficient to do so... but it's an important starting piece."

His opponent slowly nodded. "I see..." he said, in a soft voice oddly reminescent of the first speaker. He looked like the smart, diplomatic kind of man as well, but his appearence was very, very different... he was elegantly dressed in white, black and light violet, the typical colours of an high-ranking ZAFT politician. More exactly, a member of ZAFT's Supreme Council... and his long, slightly curly black hair with blue highlights framed a pale face with a serene, almost seraphic demeanor. However, a more attentive look would have shown that a sharp, ruthlessly brilliant mind was behind his affability... and that he was secretly enjoying the intellectual confrontation.

The black-haired man thought about it for a few moments still... then, he moved another piece, effectively countering his opponent's previous move. "Therefore, Colonel Char Aznable, this is your personal convinction. The cause of the current problems is planet Earth herself. You maintain that human beings are still bound by her gravitational pull, and cannot take the necessary steps to reach their new evolutionary phase. To compound matters, the humans remaining on Earth are indifferent to the space colonies' problems, when not outright hostile like Blue Cosmos. They remain enclosed in their own little world, and act as if the Earth was their private property. Thus, you are trying to drive them away from Earth. Have I understood your theory correctly?" he asked, waiting for his opponent's next move.

"For the most part, yes." the blond man called Char Aznable answered - a man whose fame was always ahead of him wherever he went, for both good and ill. Depending on who one was speaking to, Char Aznable (or Quattro Bajina, or Casval Zeon Daikun, whatever was the name he was going by at that moment) could be a freedom fighter, a traitor of his homeland, a misunderstood bringer of justice, a tragic hero or a bloodthirsty terrorist... but what everyone agreed on was that he was an extraordinary man, one who would not have been out of place next to figures like Napoleon or Alexander The Great... one of the rare people whose wills shape the destinies of entire nations and worlds!

"Earth is, indeed, the mother of all living beings." Char continued, as he moved his own piece. Once again, no concrete progress seemed to have been made on either side. "However, her children are gradually shortening her life span. Those who live on that planet only think of themselves... and the era we live in has no need for people who can't look beyond their own petty ego. I'd say this, too, is in accordance to your beliefs... chairman Gilbert Durandal."

"Yes, this is something on which we both agree on." Durandal answered. "Truth be told, I myself think that many people of this time period are too selfish to make the right choices... however, not to criticize your viewpoint, but rather to add to it as much as I can, I'd surmise that Earth is only a problem up to a certain extent. The real problem of humanity is that, since the beginning of documented history... humans have always been blinded by their own ego, and by their lack of satisfaction in regard of their position and their abilities. To actually solve the problem of war... what would really be needed is that everyone could know himself as much as possible, as to be able to take the most advantageous decision for both himself and the community. This way, there would be no more unsatisfaction... and therefore, there would be no more reason to envy others, which is the root of all human greed... and eventually, of war itself. By knowing their own position in the scheme of society, men wouldn't try to change it, resulting in a peaceful society where well-being and satisfaction are maximised."

"With all due respect, your speech is somewhat ambiguous." Char answered, moving his own piece. Judging by Durandal's barely noticeable nodding, the Neo-Zeon leader must have done a clever move. "However, I think I can see what you're trying to say, and admittedly it's a theory that does have its merits. However, as you might imagine, this brings up other issues. First and foremast, how is one supposed to know oneself so much? There are doubts in all of us. We don't have a complete knowledge of our own souls, and we often don't have a clear understanding of our own motivations. How would you propose to solve this dilemma?"

"The answer, Colonel, resides in our own genetic heritage." Durandal answered, as he countered Char's move with calculating calmness. "Our genes know all of us, even what we don't know imagine what the advantages might be if only we could all access to such an unvaluable source of informations, and come to know all of our own secrets. That would be a very significant step in the realization of a better society."

Char seemed to give the matter some thought. "Hmm... admittedly, that makes sense, Chairman Durandal. I'll have to reflect on your theory." he commented curtly, before moving his rook and blocking the advance of his opponent's bishop, disrupting the strategy Durandal had in mind. However, the ZAFT chairman didn't seem surprised in the least, and actually smiled thinly, recognizing the right moment to counter.

"A clever move, Colonel... yet, not an unexpected one." the leader of ZAFT's Supreme Council said. He then moved a knight and took out the rook Char had just stopped his bishop with. But Neo-Zeon's commander had seemingly thought of that as well, as Durandal discovered when his opponent's queen eliminated his knight, leaving the situation a stalemate just when the clock measuring the game time ticked its last seconds.

"It's a draw, I daresay." Char commented, giving a good look at the chessboard, where the situation had remained uncertain. It was quite probable that the game would have ended in a draw anyway, had it continued.

Durandal nodded in satisfaction. "A draw, indeed. I have to extend my congratulations to you, Colonel, you are a very skilled player." he answered, secretly appreciating the irony of the situation. It was always the queen, giving him the most problems... "And this exchange we just had has been... stimulating, for lack of a better term."

"I could say the same about you, Chairman Durandal." Char answered. A shrill beeping drew his attention, coming from what looked like a small communication device attached to his belt. Char quickly grabbed and acivated it, already imagining who it could be and what the matter was. "Yes, I'm listening. Are there any problems?" he spoke into the small device.

"_Colonel, this is Captain Nanai Miguel._" a mature female voice answered from the other side of the communication. "_We have located suspicious heat sources approaching Luna-5, and we've almost 100% positive it is a Terminal fleet. We have already given orders to pilots Gyunei Guss and Lunamaria Hawke to stand ready. The Sword Impulse Gundam and Gyunei's Jagd Doga are already on the launch catapults._"

"I see. Excellent job, Nanai." the blond colonel answered. "Have pilots Shinn Asuka and Rey Za Burrel stand ready as backup. Also, have my Sazabi prepared. I'll quite probably have to sortie myself."

"_Acknowledge. It will be done, Colonel._" Nanai answered, before the communication was interrupted. Char put his communicator back in its place, then politely excused himself from Durandal.

"Chairman, my apologies. I cannot stay here any longer." he said, which Durandal acknowledged with a slight nod.

"Understandable. Therefore... you will sortie yourself to end your dispute with pilot Amuro Ray, I'd guess..." ZAFT's chairman answered. "All I can say is, that I wish you the best of luck."

"Much appreciated." Char answered. "I trust Terminal's defeat will mark the fall of the greatest obstacle to our alliance." Then, he bowed and exited the room to make his way to the hangars. Durandal, on the other hand, began walking to the main bridge, reflecting on what he had just discussed with Char... and on the similarities in their respective situations.

"_Amuro Ray... yet again, someone who could have lived without complication, had he accepted his role..._" he thought to himself. "_Just like Kira Yamato... and the White Queen, Lacus Clyne. It really is unfortunate..._"

oooooooooo

Seen from the Nadesico B, outer space seemed even sadder and more hollow than when Fiona looked at it from the research center's observation rooms... at least that was the place she could more easily call home, and even in its solitude, being there gave her some form of confort. Now, all because of that unknown entity showing up and taking control of their computer system, the research center was no more...

Fiona sighed, her back leaning on the cold steel wall. Lahge and Mitsuko already had their share of problems, with Mitsuko feeling despondent for the loss of the Excellence's frames... they didn't need to get even more upset by hearing her own problems. They wouldn't have been able to help her, anyway, and the only result would have benn to dampen their spirits even more... And yet, she just couldn't chase the thoughts that, as the colonies of Amaterasu came closer and closer, kept tormenting her and keeping her from relaxing.

"_So, this is how it all ended... a journey to the most faraway clonies to solve a mystery I never thought we would get involved in..._" she reflected, rubbing her forehead. "_I wonder what Dad would think of all this... he was the one who started the research on Time Particles... the elementary particles that control the flow of time itself. Dad... your Time Shift Engine, the engine used by the Excellence, is powered by those particles, after all... but what was your aim when you created it? _

_You wanted... to create a Time Machine?_"

TO BE CONTINUED...

The conflict escalates in the next chapter, where the battle between Terminal and the Neo-Zeon / ZAFT alliance begins in earnest, and the Nadesico B finally reaches Amaterasu, to find some unwelcome surprises...


	5. Chapter 5

**SUPER ROBOT TAISEN S**

Welcome back to my Super Robot Taisen story! I apologize for the delay in my update, but real life tends to get in the way and... well, you guys know the drill. I'm just glad that, in a few weeks' time, I'll get to work on this a little more than I do now! Anyway, I have to thank everyone who sent me a review... especially Alex Yamato and EmperorDraco7... and also, I need to tell you some important news:

A prequel of this story, featuring the events of past years that eventually brought to the situation currently depicted in my fanfiction, is in the works... which means, we will get to see how various mecha anime plots will mesh with each other to form the bulk of my story. Think of it as a look to the past... whose importance will become apparent when this part of my story will reach its end!

You probably have no idea what I'm talking about, huh? Don't worry, you'll have the pleasure - hopefully - to discover what I mean in due time. For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter... and the beginning of the battles! How will Fiona and her Excellence fare in these dire situations?

Enjoy the new chapter!

**Chapter 5 - Battle for Luna-5**

"Hey, Fiona! Is anything the matter?"

Fiona was shaken out of her daydream by the voices of Lahge and Mitsuko, and quickly turned to see her best and only friends coming in from a sliding door at the opposite end of the corridor. With a sigh, the red-haired pilot straightened herself and dusted her uniform a little, trying to look nonchalant, or at least not quite as worried as she actually was.

"You've been quite silent since we came on board the Nadesico B..." Mitsuko told her. "Are you worried about what might happen to us or the Excellence now?"

"I was also thinking of what was going on in the Amaterasu colonies, but... yeah, you could say that." Fiona answered, knowing that her friends were far too good at seeing through her to believe a cover-up excuse. "I was wondering... what will be of our research now, after this incident with that guy. If it was an incident at all... the timing was just too perfect for it to be a coincidence."

"I see what you're getting at..." Lahge answered, absently scratching at his chin. "Indeed, it looks like that strange entity that disrupted our trial flight had planned it from the very beginning. Its objective, can it be Excellence, or the Time Shift Engine?"

"I think it can safely be assumed that, whoever this guy is, he's after the Time Shift Engine." Mitsuko answered curtly. "The Excellence, by itself, does not possess any particular technology that would make it worth the risk."

"I guess you're right, Mitsuko, and that's not even counting the Excellence's original objective... Our father researched the Time Particles... the particles that control the flow of time... and created an energy supply system just to use them as fuel for a single engine." Lahge commented, recalling his studies on the subject.

"A Time Machine, so to speak..." Fiona concluded, her previous hunch getting reinforced by the minute. "But at this point, the question is, what would that guy do with the means to travel back and forth in time... and what does he know of the Time Shift Engine's functioning? Getting an answer to such questions would be a step forward in solving this mystery..."

Lahge shrugged. "Well, look at it this way... maybe, when we reach Amaterasu, we'll be able to do a little research on the subject." he commented. "The Hisago Plan, the project they're currently working at, probably has something to do with Time Particles."

"About this Hisago Plan thing, can you tell me more about it?" Fiona asked curiously. "I understand that Captain Hoshino has talked to you about it, but I'm not sure whether I understood clearly... it's some sort of research on a new means of space transportation?"

"In a nutshell, yes." Mitsuko answered. "It's a research project for the usage of the Boson Jump... which is, the ability to instantaneously "jump" from one point in space to another, completely bypassing the flow of time. It's still considered a dangerous means of transportation, though... and the technology still hasn't been perfected. The Hisago Plan is intended to allow for better control of the Boson Jump."

"A number of space colonies, all fitted with Boson Jump technology, has been set up on a route from Earth to the Mars colonies, with the intention of later spanning through the whole Solar System." Lahge explained, to which Fiona nodded. Her friend, despite sometimes losing himself in technical terms, had a way of making things easier for her to understand...

"I see. So, in other words, they're setting up a number of "stations" all over the Solar System, and build a pathway that connects them like a line." the red-haired girl summed up. "So, this Boson Jump is pretty much a teleportation from one point to another in the Solar System, effectively reducing the time for travel to zero. Did I get it right?"

"Exactly... and the Amaterasu colonies near Mars are the starting point of the Hisago Plan." Mitsuko answered.

Fiona thought about it a little more. "But... there are problems if a human being executes a Boson Jump unprotected, aren't there?" she asked. "I mean, you did say that it could be dangerous..."

"Indeed it is... and in that regard, the Distortion Field is still the most reliable means of surviving a Boson Jump." another voice interjected. When Fiona and her friends looked, they discovered it to belog to Hari, the young, clumsy-looking vice-captain of the ship, apparently there to take a short break. "This ship, for example, is protected by a Distortion Field, so, in emergency cases, it can perform a Boson Jump without risk to the crew. However, Boson Jump attempts without proper protection have all ended in disaster."

"Oh, vice-captain Makibi! We weren't expecting you to be here..." Mitsuko greeted him, motioning him to join the conversation, which Hari graciously accepted. "Anyway... yes, I read it in an article once. There are very few people, though, who can Boson Jump without a Distortion Field and survive unscathed. A-Class Jumpers, if I recall correctly. Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of A-Class Jumpers have recently died in some accident or another..."

Hari's disposition, who had been until then relatively upbeat, took a bit of a plunge. "Well... yes, that much is true." he answered sadly. "However... please, no such topic in front of Captain Hoshino. You see... she has been raised by a couple of former members of the old Nadesico crew, both of which were A-Class Jumpers who died in an accident one year ago."

"Oh, I see. Sorry for bringing that up." Mitsuko apologized.

Hari waved his hand, as if to say it was no big deal. "Never mind, it doesn't matter." he answered. "Anyway, we should be arriving at Amaterasu Colony shortly. It seems that recently a strange machine has begun appearing around the Hisago Plan colonies, causing chaos and mayhem... an unidentified black robot, with Boson Jump abilities. We're still trying to figure out where it comes from, and as of now, the New Earth Federation and the Jupiter Empire are having a fall-out on the matter, each believing this outsider to be from the opposite side. Since the cease-fire between the two factions was only signed a few years ago, another war between Earth and Jupiter is something we definitely don't want at the moment."

"Understandable..." Lahge answered. "And yet, there is this black robot who can Boson Jump. This is getting pretty mysterious, I'll have to admit."

Fiona shrugged. "Let's cross our bridges when we come to them." was her comment. "For now, we don't even know whether this black robot will actually show up. Although admittedly, this is somewhat worrying... a robot who can Boson Jump at will is obviously a tough opponent for anyone, and I'm not sure if my Excellence could stand up to it."

"We trust in your experience as a pilot, Fiona." Mitsuko answered. "And it's not like you'll have to fight it on your own - Lt. Saburouta is an excellent pilot, and I'm sure he'll be glad to lend you a hand in an eventual battle."

"Yeah, I have no trouble believing that..." Fiona muttered sarcastically, as Hari wrinkled his nose and looked away. Fiona and her friend had been on that battleship for only a few hours, and it was already clear to them how the young vice-captain did not take kindly to the Jovian pilot's skirt-chasing ways...

The red-haired pilot was about to speak up again, when a communication screen popped up out of thin air in front of all of them, startling her. Captain Hoshino's pale face and golden eyes were looking at them with her usual stoicism, never once letting them read what was behind such expression. If there were hints that she was somehow still grieving over the loss of her foster parents, she sure didn't show it. On the ther hand, Hari immediately snapped to attention, as if ashamed that the captain had seen him chatting with a group of civilians. "Ah, um... Captain Hoshino, I apologize!" he stammered. Fiona was no expert on the matter, but to her, it did look like Hari had a bit of a crush on Ruri... "I... er... I was just checking on our passengers and... well..."

"At ease, Hari." Ruri told him, without as much as raising her voice. "I have contacted you to inform you that our arrival at the Amaterasu colonies is scheduled in about one hour. Please, stand ready for any possible happenings. If there is a time where we might be attacked by the terrorists, that would be now. We do not want to give them the slightset advantage, after what happened in the other colonies."

"Yes, captain Hoshino!" Fiona answered with a crisp military salute. Ruri nodded in understanding before her communication screen switched off, and Hari let out a sigh of relief, before excusing himself.

"Well... looks like I might be needed on the main bridge!" he commented with a shy smile. "Still, it's been good talking to you all. I hope there will be no problems during our stay in Amaterasu, but if your intervention is needed... well... I wish you the best of luck!"

Fiona, Lahge and Mitsuko waved at him as he headed back to his place on the main bridge. "Same to you, Hari! Good work!" Lahge concluded. A few moments later, Hari was out of earshot, and Fiona sighed as she stretched lazily.

"Weeeell, I guess we have to stand ready as well..." the red-haired girl noted. "Let's see what happens now, and let's hope we can put an end to this black robot mystery! I can't wait to get back to completing the Excellence project!"

"That goes double for us, Fiona..." Mitsuko nodded, as the trio headed for the Nadesico B's hangar, getting mentally ready for whatever was in store for them.

Unfortunately, nothing at all could prepare them for what they were about to see...

oooooooooo

"Attention, all pilots! Luna-5 has accelerated. It's heading for the stoppage limit point at increasing speed!" Meyrin called from her position on the Ral Kairam's bridge, startling captain Bright and the other operators a little. Bright grit his teeth... he had hoped to remain undetected at least for a little more time, but it seemed that, at this point, it was no longer feasible. There wasn't much to do about it, though... anyway, they had still managed to distract the Neo-Zeon / ZAFT forces with their decoys, and now they had a chance to flank them while they were still getting organized. With a quick enough offensive, hopefully they would have been able to reach Luna-5 and blast it before it got too far...

"Alright, then... attention, all pilots!" Bright called to Amuro, Kira and Athrun, as the radar signalled a group of Neo-Zeon and ZAFT Mobile Suit approaching with unsettling speed... "We have been located by the enemy. I repeat, we have been located. Enemy units approaching, Luna-5 has begun its descent at an accelerated pace. Get ready to launch... and try to reach Luna-5 at all costs! We can't let that asteroid enter the atmosphere!"

In the hangars, Amuro and the two Coordinators were already geared up and sitting in their respective Mobile Suits' cockpit... and Bright's alarmed message had the effect of riling them up for the incoming danger! "Roger, captain Bright! We're ready to launch anytime!" Amuro exclaimed, slightly increasing his grip on his cloche. The Newtype ace had been having a strange, yet familiar, feeling for a few minutes now... and he was sure that Char was around there, only waiting for Amuro to come out in order to settle their grudge once and for all. With a determined scowl, Amuro raised his head. "Amuro Ray, Re-GZ launching!"

"Kira Yamato, Freedom Gundam... launching!" Kira exclaimed. The young Coordinator ace was sure he would once again face the ZAFT elites in combat... and that meant the Destiny and Legend Gundam, opponents which would have been more than a match for the Freedom! And yet, he knew he couldn't fear nor hesitate... he had to zip past them and get to Luna-5 to disable it before it got to the stoppage limit point.

"Athrun Zala, Saviour Gundam! Launching!" The last one to take off was Athrun, emotionally invested in the battle as well. Maybe this was another chance for him to reach out to Shinn and Lunamaria, hoping they were not too far gone to listen to reason...

The plane-like fighter took off and exited the Ral Kairam's hangars in a flash, immediately followed by the streaks of white and purple that were the Freedom Gundam and the Saviour Gundam... and a group of GM-3s, Jegan, Murasame and other mass-produced Mobile Suits, all making a beeline for the Mobile Suit formation in front of them. By simply looking at his radars, Kira immediately recognized a group of bulky Geara Doga, a Neo-Zeon heavy Mobile Suit type that formed the backbone of their fleet... and a group of green Mobile suits with a mono-eye and a battle axe which looked uncannily similar to the Zaku-2s Fiona had used as dummies for the Excellence's test flight. Unfortunately, these weren't like those outdated Zakus... these were ZAFT's ZAKU Warriors, a far more advanced, and far more deadly, type of suit! And mixed among them, there were some GOUF Ignited that could prove even more dangerous...

On the other hand, the allied Neo-Zeon / ZAFT fleet was not facing them - the dummies had distracted them at least slightly, and the opposing fleet had therefore shown their side to the enemy. Now was the time for Terminal to strike!

Amuro's Re-GZ was the first to attack, shooting a barrage of missiles from its "wings" and hitting a couple of Geara Doga dead center! In a flash, the nearest Neo-Zeon and ZAFT Mobile Suits turned to face the attack and unleashed a volley of laser beams and bullets against the Terminal forces, who responded in kind. Several Mobile Suit were hit and destroyed on both sides of the battle, filling the space around Luna-5 with explosions as more units were being fielded from the Nazca-class battleships flanking the asteroid.

Kira's Freedom Gundam, on the other hand, was beginning to dash through the enemy squadrons, using its beam sabers to disable as many opponent as possible while trying to minimize loss of lives. The heavily-armored Geara Doga were no match for the N-Jammer Canceller equipped Mobile Suit, and were disabled in short order, their pilots ejecting a few moments later. The ZAKU Warrior units put up a little more of a fight, but in the end, they were still unable to slow down the Freedom for long.

Athrun's Saviour Gundam was not too far behind, stopping any straggles from attacking the Terminal troops and firing emerald green beams from its rifle. Thanks to those three powerful units, the forces of Terminal were already making their way towards the asteroid and its accompanying ships... but just then, a new wave of enemy Mobile Suits emerged from behind Luna-5 and started firing, taking out a sizeable number of GM-3s, Jegans and Murasames.

"Warning! New enemy units coming at us!" Amuro exclaimed, looking at his radar. "I can make out the Sword Impulse Gundam and a customized Yakt Doga among them... we're in for a dangerous fight this time!"

"The Sword Impulse Gundam... Lunamaria!" Athrun murmured to himself as he took out a GOUF Ignited. A white Mobile Suit, quite similar to the previous war's Strike Gundam but with a white-and-red outer armor and a pair of huge Excalibur anti-ship swords stored on its back, was approaching him at high speed, the Saviour Gundam's reddish-purple colour scheme a dead giveaway even in the midst of the battle...

In the cockpit of the Sword Impulse Gundam, one of the most powerful units the Neo-Zeon / ZAFT alliance could count on, redcoat pilot Lunamaria Hawke, a pretty red-haired girl with bright sky-blue eyes, set her jaw for the duty she was about to carry out. The Mobile Suit approaching her was obviously Athrun's... and facing her former idol in battle was never easy for her. Nevertheless, this was the one who had taken away her sister Meyrin... and the once-loyal officer who had betrayed ZAFT and deserted for Terminal. He had to be taken out, regardless of what she thought on the subject. Lunamaria grabbed one of the Excalibur swords from her Gundam's back, and stood ready to face the Saviour.

"Athrun!" she exclaimed, her strong, high-pitched voice blaring from the Saviour's speakers. The red-purple Gundam stood ready, holding its beam saber in its right hand... and soon enough, the two began clashing their weapons in a frantic battle!

"Lunamaria! It's you, Lunamaria, isn't it?" Athrun called out to the ZAFT ace pilot. "Please, stand back! We have to reach that asteroid before it falls on Earth!"

"I'm sorry, Athrun, but I can't let you do that!" Lunamaria shouted back, as her Impulse Gundam's huge sword blocked the Saviour's beam saber. "Not before I get an answer out of you! Why did you go away? And why did you take my sister away?"

"I think you already know the answer, Luna!" Athrun fired back, forcing the Sword Impulse back a little before the clash resumed. "Are you really okay with what ZAFT and Neo-Zeon are doing? They're planning to force Earth into nuclear winter and all Earthlings into living in space... if they're allowed to continue, many lives will be lost!"

"The Chairman won't allow that to happen!" Lunamaria answered. With a skilled dodge, she managed to break the blade-lock between her Sword Impulse and Athrun's Saviour, and while the latter was left stumbling for an instant, she put the Excalibur away and unsheathed her "Folding Razor" anti-armor knife. "ZAFT isn't like that... not anymore! We just want to end this war as fast as possible... and we don't agree with Neo-Zeon's methods!"

"But still, you must know that even ZAFT isn't doing the right thing..." Athrun affirmed, blocking a slash with his beam saber. He quickly pushed Lunamaria away and retaliated with a volley from the Saviour's CIWS, which failed to penetrate the Sword Impulse's Phase Shift Armor, but still managed to keep it on the defensive as Athrun went on with his speech. "Forcing everyone to conform to their genetic heritage... stopping everyone from making their own choices... it is truly right to create a world where no one can choose their own future?"

Lunamaria swallowed something bitter. In fact, she couldn't say that she really agreed with the Destiny Plan's rationale... "You... you may be right, but still... I am a ZAFT soldier, and I can't just ignore my duty!" she answered as she moved back up close...

On the other hand, Amuro was being attacked by the other enemy ace... 15-year-old Artificial Newtype Gyunei Guss, piloting a sleek dark green Yakt Doga, a Newtype-exclusive Mobile Suit with golden shoulder pads, golden highlights on its calves, and a similarly-colored face mask shaped like a beak, was rapidly approaching, releasing a volley of funnels from his Mobile Suit's shoulders. Amuro instantly recognized the Funnels, an extremely dangerous weapon capable of attacks from all ranges and directions... and quickly moved to avoid the piercing beams of light!

"Go, Funnels!" Gyunei exclaimed. "Take that fighter down!"

Unfortunately for him, he was not facing an easy mark. As the remote-controlled weapon floated away from his Yakt Doga and began firing away at Amuro's Re-GZ, the Newtype ace executed a spectacular dodging maneuvre and foiled all of his attack... then, as Gyunei's Mobile Suit grabbed its assault rifle, Amuro quickly drove towards his opponent and released another volley of missiles. Gyunei retaliated by shooting all of them down with his assault rifle, but that distraction gave Amuro just the time he needed to take aim with the Re-GZ's mega beam cannon... and shoot a large energy beam for the fighter's nuzzle! Gyunei swore between clenched teeth and raised his Yakt Doga's shield just in time to avoid taking the brunt of the attack. Still, his Mobile Suit had been damaged... and, in an attempt to even the playing field, the young boy retreated towards the support ships, which supported him from a distance by firing a salvo from their secondary cannons.

Amuro nimbly dodged the cover fire, but was forced to hold back by the Yakt Doga's still-active funnels. "_Who IS that pilot, anyway?_" he mentally asked himself. "_I did not sense evil from him... just hostility... deep hostility..._"

Kira's Freedom Gundam, on the other hand, was still proceeding towards Luna-5 to sunder it before it coul reach a point where no intervertion would have done any good. And yet, the young Coordinator ace was deeply suspicious. The battle had been too easy for him, up until then. It was almost as if Char and Durandal were trying to lull them into a false sense of security just to strike back at them with maximum force when they were at their most vulnerable. Not to mention, the Destiny Gundam, Legend Gundam and Sazabi (Char's personal red Mobile Suit) had not taken to the battlefield yet...

Kira reminded himself to take extra care, as he approached the Nazca-class battleships protecting Luna-5...

oooooooooo

While the battle in the proximities of Luna-5 was raging... the crew of the Nadesico B, after finally landing at Amaterasu, had received a somewhat lukewarm welcome from the colony's personnel, who had been efficient but cold to the point of rudeness as Ruri, Hari, Saburouta and Fiona's group were being escorted to the commanding officer's presence. Much like Fiona feared, Commodore Azuma was exactly how she and her friends had taken the habit of imagining most New Federation officers to be... smug, aggressive, self-assured and downright spiteful in his harsh treating of them. His second-in-command, a gentlemanly-looking man in his early thirties named Yoshio Yamasaki, had fortunately been a lot more courteous, although he was still trying to keep a certain distance from the Nadesico B's crew.

"And just who do you think you are, barging in our colony and demanding to put your nose where it doesn't belong?" shouted the enraged Commodore, pointing his finger in a rude and accusing manner towards Ruri, who did not seem perturbed in the least by the volley of insults. Azuma was a rather small, repulsive-looking man with a balding head and long black mustache, along with overlarge, beady eyes which almost seemed to pop out of their sockets whenever the Commodore was enraged... which, by the look of things, was almost all the time. He was wearing the typical New Federation uniform, with a red-and-blue colour scheme and a white collar, but the pomposity of his dress only managed to make his temper tantrum look that much more childish. "This colony is the mainstay of the Hisago Plan, and the first stepping stone towards the creation of new, groundbreaking means of transport! Every second of our time you waste, is a delay in its completion! Do you have a warranty of inspection from the government? And who are these... these... outsiders, by the way?"

Azuma had pointed his finger to Fiona, Lahge and Mitsuko, who had simply stood up in response and identified themselves. "We are... refugees from the Montoya lunar laboratories. We have been taken aboard the Nadesico B after sending a distress call. An accident, on which we are still investigating, caused our laboratories to be destroyed, and we had no other choice but to ask for the Nadesico B's help." Lahge answered. "For now, we are lending our abilities to the Nadesico B's crew to aid them in their mission... until the time comes for us to be handed over to Neo Federation officers."

"By the way, I am Fiona Grayden, test pilot for the Excellence." Fiona introduced herself, with a somewhat half-hearted military salute. "And... my friends here are my scientific advisor Lahge Montoya and my mechanic and engineer Mitsuko Seiki."

Azuma glared at them hatefully, but there was not much he could do about them being onboard the Nadesico B, if what Lahge and Fiona were saying was true...

"In any event, we have been sent here by the New Federation government to investigate the recent happenings." Ruri began to explain, once again undaunted by Commodore Azuma's rude behaviour. "A large concentration of Bosom Particles has been detected in the proximities of all recent incidents, most especially during the most recent one at the Shirahime colony. Under such circumstances, it is within the funding government's rights to ascertain whether or not correcting measures must be taken. Especially once we consider that issues in one of the Bosom Jump ports may have serious repercussions on the other Hisago Plan colonies and endanger human lives."

"Sheesh, we sound like fire inspectors or something..." Saburouta joked, earning himself a sideways glance for Hari.

Azuma stood upringht, banging his fist on his desk. "Rubbish! There are no problems with the Hisago Plan!" he shouted. He would probably have gone on another rant, had his second-in-command not used that moment to speak up.

"Now, now, Commodore Azuma," Yamasaki said politely. Fiona looked at him more carefully: he was a young man, not much older than thirty, and was dressed elegantly, with a dark gray business suit and poilshed black shoes, a red necktie, and a pure white shirt visible underneath his coat. "Let's not make things more difficult than they should be. After all, as New Earth Federation members, our duty is to protect the peace throughout the solar system, is it not? Captain Hoshino is just making sure she can do her part in this. Therefore, I think we should give her a chance to see for herself whether there really are no problems with our colony. Don't you agree?"

As Azuma returned a death glare to Yamasaki, both Ruri and Fiona looked sideways, eyeing suspiciously a strange poster on the room's wall... a poster talking about the Hisago Plan, and filled with cutesy, cartoonish graphics...

oooooooooo

"_Hello, everyone! Welcome to the Hisago Plan Guided Tour!_" chirped a strange Pac-Man-like mascot as it floated in front of the children gathered in front of a passenger gate.

"_HELLO, HISAGON!_" all the children answered cheerily. Among the crowd of children, Fiona sighed miserably, while Ruri kept her usual neutral face. The higher-ups of Amaterasu really didn't like the Nadesico B poking their nose into their business... and had resorted to dumping the young pilot and the even younger captain with a bunch of schoolchildren taking a guided tour of the colony!

"Really... what else could go wrong now?" Fiona asked herself melodramatically, an anime sweatdrop descending down the side of her head. Completelt ignoring her complaints, the floating mascot, named Hisagon, pointed to a colourful gate in front of the children, and the double doors separating them from the planned trip opened with an hiss. Another mascot, this time a young girl with pink hair wearing a matching bodysuit, came walking out of the corridor, with a demeanor that Fiona found to be a little too cheery for her liking.

"Welcome, children... welcome to the research center for the future of space transportation!" the pink-haired girl exclaimed. "I and Hisagon will be your guides, and we'll take a pair of special guests along with us. Children, please welcome Captain Ruri Hoshino of the Nadesico B, and pilot Fiona Grayden, our honored guest!"

Barely changing her expression, Ruri did a victory sign with her fingers and looked down at the children. "Hello, everyone." she greeted, seemingly not offended in the least by the joke she and Fiona were being the butt of. The children responded in kind, with a chorus of high-pitched, enthusiastic voices... and Fiona tried to put on a smiling face and flipped a thumbs-up sign to the youngsters.

"_Man... Commodore Azuma is probably laughing his ass off at us now..._" the red-haired female pilot thought to herself.

oooooooooo

"I'm not sure if this is alright..." Hari murmured to himself, standing beside his seat on the Nadesico B's main bridge. Saburouta, Lahge and Mitsuko were hanging nearby, seemingly waiting for Ruri and Fiona's joke of a guided tour to end... and none of them seemed really enthusiastic about what Commodore Azuma and Yamasaki had in store for the Nadesico B's captain and the young test pilot. "I don't think this is fair to the Captain and Miss Fiona..."

"Yeah, guess I'm not too cool with it myself... but really, what can we do about it?" Saburouta asked rhetorically, his hands crossed behind his head. "Although, if you want my opinion, there's something fishy about this."

Lahge pushed his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. "I'd have to agree. It's almost as if that Commodore and his right-hand-man wanted to hide something from us... And yet, I don't see what the New Earth Federation might be interested in keeping secret..."

"You know how these New Federation bigwigs are..." Mitsuko sighed, scratching at the main bridge's polished floor with her booted foot, and sparing a cursory glance at the bridge bunnies. "Good luck getting a reasonable explanation for their actions out of them... at best, you'll get accused of being a terrorist or a spy. Heh, let's just take advantage of the fact that they're pretty much ignoring us..."

"Tell you what, miss, that's actually a pretty good idea." Saburouta answered. "If we search around a little in their databases, I'm sure we can find what they want to keep hidden from us... Hey, Hari, what do you say about it?" The blonde Jovian pilot raised his head and looked somewhat maliciously at the young vice-captain, who immediately got the picture and raised his eyebrows in disbelief!

"What? Hey, Lt. Saburouta, hold on a second... you can't be suggesting THAT!" a flustered Hari yelled back. "Hacking into military records and classified information is a serious crime... and you know it!"

Saburouta laughed jovially. "Hehehee... come now, we're not doing anything bad now, are we? Think of it as a way to make ourselves useful to Captain Hoshino! I guess even our guests here agree with me that it could make light on quite a few mysteries, don't you?"

Lahge smirked slightly in anticipation. It was no secret how the young engineer had no love for the New Earth Federation, and a chance to throw some mud in their plans and get away with it was all too intriguing to him. "I guess so... We just have to be careful not to get caught by a firewall... and in that regard, I'm sure me and Hari can do that no problem!"

Saburouta winked. "Alright, pal! Now you're speaking my language! So, what are we waiting for? Let's get to work!"

Hari winced, finding himself in the minority. He had a feeling that, whatever happened, it would not have been pretty...

oooooooooo

The battle for Luna-5 had been raging for quite some time now... and in the cockpit of the Destiny Gundam, one of the most powerful weapons available to the Neo-Zeon / ZAFT diumvirate, a young soldier with messy jet-black hair and burning red eyes, wearing a red piloting suit, was feeling his patience wear thin. The Chairman and Colonel Char Aznable had asked him and his friend to stand ready, in case Terminal's offensive had to come too close to the asteroid for confort... but, for what concerned ace pilot Shinn Asuka, he'd much rather be out there, fighting against the Chairman's enemies...

With an angry sigh, Shinn gripped his cloche and nervously moved his fingers along it, being distracted by his reverie only when a comm window opened on the screen above his head. A serene young face, framed by long blond hair and with a pair of deep blue eyes was looking at him with concern. "Shinn... Shinn, do you hear me? Rey here... we have to get ready for launching, Colonel Char Aznable has requested that we send backup to our troops out there! The Terminal forces are approaching Luna-5, and we have to halt them now!"

"Rey?" Shinn answered, quickly composing himself in front of his comrade and best friend. "Sorry, Rey, I'm just... a little overeager to sortie! So, now those Terminal bastards are approaching our position?". Shinn Asuka, former ORB citizen and now one of the most decorated war heroes of ZAFT, had never been known to have a firm grip on his temper, and even now, his anger towards the ones who were trying to stop their operations dripped all too clearly from his voice...

Rey Za Burrel, the other main ZAFT ace, pilot of the Legend Gundam and one of the few people Shinn actually trusted, was about to answer, before another comm window opened beside his, showing the Neo-Zeon leader already in his piloting suit and at the helm of his personal Mobile Suit, the Sazabi. "Affirmative. Some of the Terminal forces have managed to push through the first line of our defences and are trying to reach Luna-5 to sunder it with breakers. It falls to us now to stop them. We're taking off now, so follow my lead!" the blond Colonel ordered.

Shinn received the orders with a somewhat disgusted expression. While he had the utmost respect for Durandal and would have done anything for him, the same trust did not extend to his ally, whom Shinn regarded as double-dealing and too secretive for his own good. Still, Char was both his and Rey's superior, and the Chairman certainly knew what he was doing, so there was not much Shinn could do about it other than follow orders. The more disciplined Rey, on the other hand, seemed to have no such qualms.

"Acknowledge, Colonel. We're ready to sortie." the blond ZAFT ace answered. "Shinn, you'll handle the Freedom. I'll go support Lunamaria and the Impulse against the Saviour. Keep a cool head, and do your best. Gil is counting on us both."

Shinn grit his teeth, the prospect of once again facing the Freedom in combat making his blood boil. That was the Mobile Suit that had taken everything in his life... his family... Stellar... and now it had come back to take more! But Shinn was not about to let that happen...

"I... I will destroy the Freedom this time!" Shinn snarled, sounding downright animalistic with suppressed rage. "This time... I will make damn well sure it can't escape! Rey! Please, get that traitor Athrun for me!"

"Do not worry about this, Shinn." Rey answered coolly, a stark contrast with his hot-blooded teammate. "Athrun Zala may have escaped us once, but this time, we'll make sure he pays for his betrayal."

Char slightly raised his eyes to look at his consoles, and gave the younger pilots confirmation to launch. "Alright, now the Terminal forces have come within range! Nanai, launch all backup units! Char Aznable, Sazabi, launching as well!"

"Rey Za Burrel, Legend Gundam, I'm going out!" Rey confirmed.

Shinn nodded, and his irises flashed a dangerous shade of red. "Shinn Asuka, Destiny Gundam... launching!"

The Minerva's catapults activated, the sudden acceleration forcing all the pilots on their respective seats... before they were all launched into battle!

oooooooooo

"_Attention to all pilots!_" Captain Bright's voice exclaimed over the communication channels. "_New Mobile Suits have been launched from the Minerva, and are now heading towards our lines at high speed. Sazabi, Destiny Gundam and Legend Gundam confirmed among enemy reinforcements. Engage them with extreme caution!_"

Kira, the pilot closest to Luna-5, was forced to suddently halt his progress and retreat slightly, looking to his Freedom Gundam's left while dodging a shower of beams from the ZAFT and Neo-Zeon units in front of him. In the nick of time, his radars managed to intercept the Destiny Gundam, flying at full speed towards him... and only his Coordinator reflexes allowed him to raise his guard in time to avoid a nasty slash from his opponents' anti-ship sword! In his fury, howver, Shinn just kept up the pressure, forcing Kira's Gundam away from Luna-5!

"No... I'm getting too far from Luna-5..." Kira murmured to himself, too busy trying to fend his opponent off to do anything else...

"FREEDOM!" Shinn screamed at the top of his lungs. "I will be the one to defeat you! Here! NOW!"

A pair of multicolored wings of light erupted from the Destiny Gundam's back, giving it the appearence of some sort of avenging angel... and the mighty Gundam swooped to attack once again, its huge sword managing to open a gash in the Freedom's leg as Kira barely managed to dodge. Kira managed to get some distance... and an amethyst seed floated in front of him for a split second, before shattering in countless fragments, a telltale sign that Kira had entered SEED mode. Immediately, the Freedom Gundam's movements became faster and more precise, and Kira unsheathed his beam sabers and intercepted the Destiny's anti-ship sword. Shinn swore in frustration and tried pushing the Freedom backwards, before a red seed exploded in front of him as well...

The Saviour Gundam, on the other hand, was getting the upper hand on Lunamaria's Sword Impulse, forcing the Strike-knockoff against a floating piece of debris, and sending a jolt of pain though the red-haired girl's back as her Mobile Suit violently slammed against the rocky surface. Athrun was about to interrupt the battle there, in order to go after Luna-5 and possibly help Kira out in his battle... but he was denied the chance when a pair of searing laser beams, coming from the pods of a DRAGOON system, zoomed right in front of his Mobile Suit! As Athrun turned in the direction of the beam, he was greeted with the sight of a bulky, yet still incredibly agile, grey Gundam with blue and red highlights on its chest and abdomen, who eerily reminded him of the terrifying Providence Gundam used by ZAFT whitecoat turned traitor Rau Le Creuset during the second battle of Jachin Due in the previous war. The DRAGOON system mounted on its back did little to assuage his fears...

"Rey!" Lunamaria called to the Legend's pilot, detaching her damaged Sword Impulse from the rocky surface. "Thank you for bailing me out, I was beginning to have trouble with the Saviour..."

"Rey Za Burrel..." Athrun murmured. As Gilbert Durandal's right-hand-man and most trusted officer, the blond was a particularly dangerous opponent... not to mention, the one through which Durandal managed to keep Shinn in a highly suggestionable state...

"Lunamaria, retreat to the Minerva." Rey advised curtly. "I will take care of the Saviour from now on."

"A... Alright!" Lunamaria answered, somewhat taken aback by her comrade's cold demeanor. The Impulse Gundam immediately backed away and, shooting a few of the nearest Terminal Mobile Suits to keep the enemy from approaching her too much, began flying back towards the Minerva, even as the young girl bitterly regretted not having been able to recover her sister. Immediately, the Saviour began frantically trying to dodge the deadly net of laser beams that the DRAGOON pods were unleashing against him, using his Mobile Suit's superior speed to try and close the distance. Unfortunately, Rey Za Burrel was far too good a pilot to be taken off guard like that, and he skillfully moved his Legend Gundam around in order to keep Athrun at a distance, where his DRAGOON could do the most damage.

"So, you persist in trying to stop Gil and his projects... Athrun Zala." Rey commented coolly, so much that it was almost unnerving. "It really is unfortunate that a person as capable as you are would throw away his chances, only to pursue a path he was not supposed to walk."

"You cannot lead me astray with such words!" Athrun answered, gritting his teeth as a shot from the automated pods struck his Gundam's shoulder and violently jarred him. "Ugh... I am not about to be used by people who would take away the future of humanity!"

The Saviour Gundam aimed its beam rifle at the Legend Gundam and fired three times, missing with all shots thanks to the Providence-lookalike's superior speed. Then, Rey maneuvered his Gundam in a spectacular arc and fired more shots from his DRAGOON pods, forcing the Saviour on the defensive. Athrun gripped his cloche, in a frantic attempt to get himself away from the pods' line of fire. Once again, the Legend was proving itself the superior suit...

Despite the Yact Doga's superior design and Gyunei's artificial Newtype advancements, Amuro's experience as a pilot was keeping the Re-GZ relatively intact, and the New Federation Newtype ace was able to consistently respond to Gyunei's attacks and put him on the ropes. The Yact Doga had lost three funnels, and the black armor plating on its chest and left arm had taken noticeable damage from the Re-GZ's attacks, forcing Gyunei to opt for a more hit-and-run tactic, in the hope of wearing down Amuro's patience. Unfortunately for him, the New Federation pilot was not interested in needlessly prolonging the fight, and as soon as he could, he disengaged the Yact Doga and flew towards Luna-5, quickly putting some distance between himself and his opponent's black Mobile Suit. Gyunei swore and tried to follow, but the alarms going off in his cockpit, warning him of the damage sustained, reminded him that his suit was in less than optimal condition. Amuro continued to fly towards the asteroid, which was now dangerously close to the point of no return... but a strange feeling, almost like an electric jolt, made him realize that danger was coming from somewhere else, and he quickly turned his cameras upwards and to his left...

"This feeling... it's all too familiar to me! Is that you... Char Aznable?"

...just in time to see Char's blood-red Sazabi bearing down on him!

"Amuro!" the Neo-Zeon leader exclaimed, as the two lifelong enemies began their battle...

oooooooooo

Amaterasu Colony.

"Well, well, well... will you take a look at this! No wonder the higher-ups in this colony wanted us to stay away!" Lahge commented, his eyes narrowing angrily at the images flashing on Hari's screen. The green-haired young man was not the kind of person who got angry easily, but in front of such a grave discovery, he could not just stay silent...

"Guess this is kind of more illegal than hacking into military computers, huh?" Mitsuko commented, giving a good, disgusted look at the apparently incomprehensible diagrams appearing on the screen... and at the numerous portraits appearing right after them, a dead giveaway of the crimes committed fo the sake of the Hisago Plan. "Looks like these guys have been using live human subjects in Boson Jump experiments..."

"This is preposterous! They well know the dangers of unprotected Boson Jumping..." Hari commented, both angry and horrified at the grisly discovery. "And still, they sacrificed dozens, if not scores, of human lives to their research. This is not going to go down well..."

"Hey, hold on a second..." Saburouta suddently interrupted. "What's that? I think I can see..."

It all happened in a flash. The screen on which Hari, Saburouta and Fiona's friends were seeing the incriminating data winked out of existence... and not a split second later, more comm screens opened up all over the Nadesico B's bridge and the colony, all sporting a single word ominously glaring at the bystanders...

**OTIKA**

"What?" Saburouta exclaimed, as the Nadesico B's crew began to murmur in surprise and fear. "O... OTIKA? What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"

Mitsuko narrowed her eyes, trying to think of a logical explanation for what was happening. "I... I don't know... I'm completely baffled!" she exclaimed. "I... I can only suppose Fiona and Captain Hoshino are now staring at similar screens all over the colony! Hari, please, can you contact Fiona? I need to ask her what the situation is inside the colony!"

"Right away!" Hari answered, quickly opening a comm channel to the red-haired pilot, with but one quick gesture of his hands. "Contact estabilished! Luckily this interference is not messing up the connections... Fiona! Fiona, can you hear us? What's going on there? We seem to be under attack from an unknown source!"

oooooooooo

"Hell if I know!" Fiona answered, keeping her voice high in order to make herself heard above the screaming of the terrified children. The incident had happened during the guided tour of the colony, trapping the kids and their guides in one of the colony's main corridors... and both Hisagon, the cute mascot, and the pink-haired girl were trying to calm down the younger guests... while Ruri, seemingly unfazed by the whole situation, stood in her place, staring at the innumerable screens popping up everywhere in the corridor. the mysterious word, OTIKA, was still scrolling down all of the screens, in a seeming mockery of the flabbergasted personnel...

"All of a sudden we jst stopped... and someone began spamming us with these... things!" Fiona screamed in frustration. "I don't even know what they're supposed to mean! OTIKA? What kind of word is this?"

At that point, something incredible happened - the normally calm and collected Ruri Hoshino widened her eyes in surprise and horror... and began running back to the spaceport, in a display of haste and emotion that the silver-haired captain was not known for. Fiona, for whom the situation had only gotten more nebulous, tried calling her back... before starting to run to catch up with her!

"_Fiona! Fiona! What happened? Why is Captain Hoshino...?_" Lahge's voice could be heard from the comm screen Fiona had left behind. The red-haired girl called out to Ruri, hoping to get at least some things clear about the whole mess.

"Captain Hoshino, wait up!" Fiona exclaimed. "What's this all about? Do you know... what that word... OTIKA... meant?"

Without even turning in Fiona's direction, without even slowing down her run, Ruri answered in a voice that betrayed her anxiety. "Yes... OTIKA... is simply AKITO written backwards!" the silver-haired girl answered. That name... Akito... that name sounded familiar in Fiona's memory... she had already heard it before, but she couldn't for the life of her remember when and in what context...

"Akito... Akito..." Fiona repeated to herself, hoping that it would trigger more of her memories. "What about this name, Captain Hoshino? It must be a very important name for you..."

"_Indeed it is_..." Hari answered, from another comm screen that popped up near Fiona's face. "_Akito Misumaru... Captain Hoshino's adoptive father, an A-Class Boson Jumper who died in a mysterious incident about two years ago!_"

oooooooooo

In the proximities of the Amaterasu colony, what looked like a new threat suddenly warped into existence... a sleek, dynamic black robot with red highlights!

And its pilot smirked underneath the black visor covering the top half of his face. The moment of reckoning had come...

oooooooooo

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Note: Nadesico fans might have noticed that I used the name "Akito Misumaru" instead of "Akito Tenkawa". This is because, in the _Martian Successor Nadesico _story, Akito (the protagonist of the TV series) eventually marries Yurika Misumaru, the first captain of a Nadesico-class ship, and the daughter of an important officer of the Earth Union. In Japan, when the family of the wife is of higher social status, it is the husband who takes the wife's last name, not vice versa... so it always sounded strange to me that, even in the Nadesico movie, everyone kept calling our hero "Akito Tenkawa"...

The battle continues in the next update, where Amuro and Char come face to face, Shinn and Rey clash against, respectively, Kira and Athrun... and the horrifying truth of the Hisago plan comes to surface! Don't miss it! 


	6. Chapter 6

**SUPER ROBOT TAISEN S**

Welcome back, mecha anime fans! I apologize for a small mistake I did in the previous chapter - in an earlier part, I had said that Akito and Yurika (Ruri's adoptive parents) had dissapeared one year before the events of my story, but then, near the end, I inadvertedly changed it to two years. It was a bit of inconsistent writing on my part, I know... and just for clearing things up, just know that the right period of time, according to the _Nadesico - Prince of Darkness _subs I have seen, is one year. Heh, what can I say, I am still a beginner as a writer...

Anyway, this chapter will cover the first battle at Amaterasu colony (along with some shocking discoveries that will throw our heroes for a loop) and the conclusion of the battle between the Neo-Zeon / ZAFT alliance and the Terminal forces, in the proximities of Luna-5. Will the secret of the Hisago Plan and the mysterious black robot be discovered? Can the Luna-5 drop be averted? The answer all await for you in this chapter, so... happy reading!

oooooooooo

**Chapter 6 - Ghost of Amaterasu**

As the battle for Luna-5 raged on, and Amaterasu colony was thrown into chaos by the sudden informatic attack, things were not going smoothly on Earth as well, and especially not in the city that had been pinpointed as the target of the Luna-5 colony drop...

The Lahsa spaceport, in one of the most important cities in New Earth Federation territory, was always a busy, crowded place... but that day, the activity had reached truly unbelievable heights, as flights to the Earth Sphere's inner colonies were departing with incredible frequency. Many had already left for outer space, but even so, the spaceport was crowded almost to its limit, queues of desperate people piling up in front of the admittance stands and the check-ins as they frantically tried to get into the earlier shuttle to space. Those who had no means to get into a shuttle, had left Lahsa through other means already, or had resigned themselves to waiting in their homes and hoping against hope that the Luna-5 drop could be averted. Unfortunately, the spaceport personnel, even if they were doing their best to help with the evacuation, couldn't handle all the incoming people, and many people were reluctantly denied access to their only means of escape.

"But... there vouchers are perfectly regular! Why can't we be admitted on the next shuttle?" A young woman in her early thirties asked the agent in front of her. Mirai Noah, formerly known as Mirai Yashima, had hoped to reach her husband in space together with their children, fourteen-year-old Hathaway and ten-year-old Cheimin... but just when it seemed that they could all safely get on board, they had been faced with a polite, but stern, refusal.

The agent in front of them looked sadly at the vouchers. "We're terribly sorry, Madam, but... there have been some complications, and we are effectively unable to help you with your request. We deeply apologize... but there's nothing we can do about it..." he said, sincerely sorry for the family's predicament. They all looked like such a nice family too... Mirai, despite not being so young anymore, still kept her dignified beauty, as evident in her smooth black hair and well-defined face... while her eldest son, Hathaway, really looked like a fine young man, with his well-combed short black hair; and Cheimin, the youngest child, seemed like the daughter everyone would have wanted, being pretty much a child version of her mother. The New Federation agent wished he could do something to help them, but...

But he was denied the chance to say what he had in mind, as a mature-looking man in an elegant grey trenchcoat and fedora hat rudely pushed his way through the queue, seemingly oblivious to the waiting people, and took Mirai and her children's place in front of the agent. Mirai tried to protest, but the man ignored her completely and began speaking to the surprised agent.

"By some coincidence, I've been given an extra voucher." the man said, without even a proper greeting. He was carrying himself with an annoying air of superiority that was making more than one pair of eyebrows raise. "Why don't you void one of my reservations and give it to one of them? After all, I was accorded a seat on the next shuttle because of my position as a New Federation ambassador." The trenchcoat-wearing man pointed to Mirai and her family... but rather than an act of genuine kindness, his action had all the markings of something done just to get some praise for himself...

"Oh, Mr. Adenauer Paraya... are you sure? Well, if that is the case... it can be done." the Federation agent answered politely, although he expertly hid his disgust at the man. Adenauer Paraya, one of the most important members of the New Federation Embassy, was not very well liked by the public, because of his selfishness and his sympathy for the Blue Cosmos-backed political wings... and the fact that he was seen as a womanizer who had married (and subsequently divorced) at least six times in fourteen years certainly did not help his case any.

But that was not the place for personal opinions, and the agent had not much of a choice other than accept Adenauer's three vouchers and sign them, while giving Mirai and her children an apologetic glance. Adenauer nodded in satisfaction and turned to a teenage girl with bright azure-green hair tied in a pair of pigtails waiting at the back of the queue, carrying a rather large suitcase. "That's good, then. Come, Quess, we're leaving."

"Yes, Father." the young girl answered unenthusiastically. She sounded like she'd rather be everywhere but there...

As the turquoise-haired teenager followed her father, and Adenauer motioned for one of the Noah family to follow him onboard the shuttle, Hathaway took a look at Quess... and by the look in his eyes, one could easily see that the boy had been instantly smitten by her. Not that one could blame him, of course - Quess looked quite attractive for her age, with those long pigtails giving her a girlishly innocent look and with that gentle yet strong-minded expression. As he looked at the girl passing near him, dragging her suitcase with her, Hathaway immediately felt something bonding him to her... something he couldn't quite put into words, but that still binded him to her...

He realized he had pretty much spaced out only when he heard his mother's voice gently calling to him. "Hathaway, maybe you should go with them." Mirai suggested, and when her eldest son turned to her, a somewhat puzzled look on his face, the young mother continued. "After all, you're a grown boy now, and I think it's time for you to see what space is like for the first time! Don't worry about me and Cheimin... we'll take the next train away from here, and we'll join you as soon as we can."

"I agree with that, big brother." little Cheimin went on. "Go ahead with Mr. Paraya... and say hi to daddy for us if you see him!"

Hathaway stood there for some time, reflecting on the idea... but in the end, he thought he might as well go ahead and accept Adenauer's offer. After all, he too wanted to see space, and if this gave him a chance to travel together with Quess... hey, bonus.

"Alright then, Mom, Cheimin... I'll go!" Hathaway answered, with a smile and a nod. "Please take care of yourselves."

As Hathaway grabbed his luggage, Adenauer nodded in satisfaction, and stood waiting for the boy to complete his goodbyes, before heading to the departing shuttle...

oooooooooo

The battle near Luna-5 had reached its peak: Mobile Suits of both factions were darting in and out of each other's reach, shooting multicolored laser beams and slashing at any opponent with their beam sabers. Machines were blowing up all over the place, claiming more and more lives... and yet, Terminal had not managed to attack Luna-5 and blast it apart before it could reach the stoppage limit point. The point of no return was getting closer within seconds...

And in all the mayhem, the opposing armies' aces were fiercely dueling each other, with the Neo-Zeon and ZAFT alliance slowly but surely getting the upper hand!

Amuro's Re-GZ barely dodged a laser beam from the Sazabi's chest cannon and retaliated with a volley of red beams for its wing-mounted cannons, but Char's red Mobile Suit, despite its bulk and the fact that it clearly stood out among other machines, was too agile to be hit so easily, and managed to get away once again.

"Char! Why are you trying to drop this thing on Earth?" Amuro shouted, demanding an explanation for his arch-nemesis' actions.

"The people living on that planet only think of themselves!" Char answered, his voice barely rising above what was necessary. "That is why I have decided to purge them!"

Another shot came from the Neo Zeon commander's Mobile Suit, and this time, the Re-GZ was struck on one of its wings, making Amuro bite back a curse. Immediately, the younger Newtype pressed a button on his console, and the Re-GZ immediately discarded its damaged wings and outer coating, revealing another body underneath it all - a sleek, polished humanoid Mobile Suit reminescent of the Zeta Gundam used in the war against the Titans and the first Neo Zeon...

"Such arrogance... A man seeking to pass judgement on his fellow men?" Amuro asked in incredulous anger. "These are the words of one who suffers from a God complex!"

The Re-GZ, now in Mobile Suit mode, darted towards the Sazabi, beam saber in hand, and the red Mobile Suit responded in kind by unlimbering a large beam axe from its back and parrying the first blow.

"I, Char Aznable, shall cleanse Earth from all impurities. Why can't you understand that, Amuro?" the blond Colonel fired back. With a swift gesture of its arm, the Sazabi repelled the Re-GZ and turned the tables on Amuro, forcing him on the defensive. "Wars have been fought, lives have been destroyed, and yet, people refuse to change! And the Earth is the root of all this... it is because its gravity keeps holding back those fools that nothing ever changes!"

"And you would murder so many because of that? Who do you think you are, anyway?" Amuro screamed, gritting his teeth as a blow from the Sazabi's beam axe rattled the Re-GZ.

"Are these the words of a Newtype who is letting the system take advantage of him?" Char accused, keeping up his attack. The Re-GZ barely managed to get some breathing room and fired a shot from its beam rifle, striking the Sazabi in its right arm and causing a small explosion and a shower of sparks.

"And you'll always despise others with that foolish attitude!" Amuro answered back. He never got to attack a second time, though, as a volley of Funnels detached itself from the Sazabi's shoulder pads and hovered ominously around the red MS for a brief moment... before unleashing a deluge of beams on the Re-GZ! Amuro swore under his breath and tried to dodge, but even a Newtype as skilled as he was could not dodge the whole of that attack.

One beam tore through the Re-GZ's arm, severing it at the elbow. Another struck the Zeta Gundam lookalike in the hip, blowing its whole leg off... and then another scraped the chest area, dangerously close to the cockpit! The Re-GZ was thrown backwards like a rag doll, and slammed violently against a floating piece of debris, while Amuro was thrown forward with a sudden jolt and felt a sharp blow in his ribs. He coughed a few times, then quickly composed himself and glared hatefully at the almost-unharmed Sazabi floating in front of him, its Funnels pointed and ready to fire. Amuro's Mobile Suit was too damaged to continue fighting... he was completely at Char's mercy.

"Isn't it obvious? That Mobile Suit you're piloting will never be a match for my Sazabi." Char stated calmly... then, much to Amuro's surprise, he passed that chance to finish him off and sped away, the Sazabi's Funnels returning to their place a moment later. Gyunei's black Yakt Doga, who had been hovering in the proximities in case its aid had been necessary, followed suit.

"Colonel! Won't you finish him off?" Gyunei asked in puzzlement.

"That won't be necessary. Luna-5 has already reached the critical point." Char answered... and much to Amuro's horror, when the New Federation ace controlled his on-board instruments, he could clearly see that the asteroid was already beyond stopping, without Terminal having been able to significantly damage it. "The gravity of the Earth will do the rest for us. For now, we're retreating. We have done enough damage for now, and remaining would only put us at undue risk."

"_Furthermore..._" Char thought to himself as he and his young protegee returned to the Minerva. "_I would not be satisfied with defeating Amuro, if he was not piloting a Gundam..._"

As the Sazabi and the Yakt Doga got away, Amuro quickly opened a comm channel to the Ral Kairam, in the hope that the ship could at least do some damage to the speeding asteroid. "Ral Kairam, this is Re-GZ... Ral Kairam, do you copy? I... I'm sorry to inform you that Luna-5 has passed the stoppage limit... do what you can to reduce the damage to Earth! Unfortunately, I am unable to do anything more..."

"Ral Kairam here... acknowledge!" Meyrin answered, with palpable fear in her voice. "We're already readying the Mega Particle Cannon... but I'm afraid it won't do much good, with Luna-5's size and velocity..."

oooooooooo

Kira and Athrun were not faring much better than Amuro: the Saviour Gundam had quickly found itself under attack from both the Legend and the Impulse, and was already missing an arm and part of its chest armor courtesy of the former's beam saber and DRAGOON pods... while the Freedom and Kira were having their hands full dodging the Destiny Gundam's furious assault, which had backed the Ultimate Coordinator up against the side of a meteor. With a quick slash of both his beam sabers, Kira blocked another thrust... but the Destiny quickly slipped through his guard, and the Freedom Gundam found itself facing the wrong side of the Destiny Gundam's hand-mounted cannon!

A devastating blast hit the Freedom in its chest, violently jarring Kira and sending the angelic-looking Mobile Suit slamming into the meteor, electrical sparks already spraying from the chinks in it armor. Eyes flashing in lust for revenge, Shinn raised his Gundam's anti-ship sword and began to dive forward, fully intending to impale the Freedom... but just then, a transmission coming from Rey and the Legend forced him to halt his killing blow.

"Shinn, we're receiving orders from Colonel Char." The blond ZAFT ace calmly reported. "Luna-5 has gotten through its stoppage limit. Whatever Terminal might do now, it would do nothing to stop Luna-5 from impacting. We have to retreat."

The red-eyed young pilot felt a wave of outrage running through him, but he refrained himself in front of Rey. "What? We... we cannot retreat now! We are about to take out the Freedom and the Saviour! Why shouldn't we finish the job already?" he shouted, to which Rey kept his cool with seeming ease.

"These are the orders, and there is not much we can do about it." Rey answered. "Staying here would only be a waste of time. Our mission is complete."

"He's right, Shinn... let's go back to the Minerva." Lunamaria suggested. "We'll get another chance to defeat the Freedom and the Saviour soon."

Shinn felt bile in the back of his throat, but he knew that his friends were not to blame for this order, and Rey was one of the few people who had his trust, anyway, so he quickly gave in. "All... all right then, we'll retreat for now." he answered tiredly, before glaring daggers at the damaged Freedom slowly untangling itself from the meteor's remains. "Hmph... consider yourself lucky, Freedom. This time, I'm letting you get away. But next time... next time, I'll be taking my revenge for my family and Stellar! You can count on that!"

"Wait, Shinn!" Athrun tried to call out to the impulsive Destiny pilot. "Please, try to reconsider! Don't you realize what Chairman Durandal and Char Aznable have just done? This colony drop will claim thousands of lives..."

"Silence! I won't let you lead me astray!" Shinn hotly fired back. "Since you're a friend to those who murdered my family, you're my enemy too... and next time we meet, I will take your life! Do not think you will get away with that!"

The Impulse, Destiny and Legend trio headed back to their mothership, leaving thedamaged and dispirited Terminal forces alone, as they could do nothing more than watch powerlessly Luna-5 beginning an unstoppable descent towards Earth. The Ral Kairam's Mega Particle Cannon fired, shooting an enormous red beam... and managed to blow apart a chunk of the asteroid; but just like Meyrin had said, even that could do nothing more than put a dent on the huge asteroid.

"Luna-5 is falling..." Kira murmured dejectedly. Even if word of the emergency had arrived in Lahsa, the drop's intended target... how many people had failed to get away in time?

oooooooooo

Amaterasu Colonies.

The appearance of the dreaded Boson Jumping black robot, together with the unexplained computer attack, had thrown the colony is disarray, as scores of mass-produced Aestivalis and other grunt units were being fielded in an attempt to stop the invader. Like a shark swimming through water, the black robot fluidly moved towards its target, shooting down or disabling anything unfortunate enough to cross its path. Those few shots that actually managed to reach the unknown attacker harmlessly bounced off an invisible Distortion Field that surrounded the mysterious unit. There seemed to be no stopping this mysterious terror.

"What are those idiots doing?" Commodore Azuma practically roared in indignation, watching the brave but ultimately pointless attempts of the colony's defenders to fend off the black attacker. "It's just one robot! Why can't they take it down?"

"Commodore Azuma, it seems we're dealing with an enemy whose capabilities far exceed our expectation." came the advice of Azuma's advisor Aritomo Shinjo, a young man in his late twenties with short dark blue hair and a cam, collected expression which contrasted with his superior's anger. "We'd better pull our unmanned units back, and send the Lion's Sickle battallion to greet the opponent."

"Hmph... so be it, then!" Azuma grunted, before grabbing a comm unit and contacting the aforementioned division. "Hey, Lion's Sickle! Lion's Sickle, do you copy? The black robot that's given us so much grief is approaching the colony as we speak! You go out there and destroy it, am I clear? I will not tolerate failure!"

oooooooooo

"Heh... don't worry! The Lion's Sickle has never lost once, and we're not going to lose today!" A strong female voice, coming from the cockpit of a custom red Aestivalis, answered the call. 21-year-old Captain Ryoko Subaru, leader of the elite fighting unit called Lion's Sickle and former pilot on board the first Nadesico-class battleship, grabbed her Rapid Rifle and lead a group of sleek, silver-blue Aestivalis units out of the colony's hangars ready to meet the advancing menace. "Alright, boys, that's our opponent! The famed black robot! We go out there and kick its ass, understood? Take care, though, I hear it's a pretty tough nut to crack. It can Boson Jump and its armor is pretty thick. But I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle, right?"

As her soldiers simultaneously answered an affirmative, Ryoko nodded and gave full power to her Aestivalis' thrusters, speeding towards the black robot with fierce determination. Of medium height for her age, with an athletic build and short black hair with dark blue highlights, Ryoko already had a steady reputation as a skilled fighter and an excellent field commander, though she was sometimes accused of being a little too reckless in combat. However, considering the Lion's Sickle had never been defeated as of the present day, few were going to hold it against her.

"Heh. So, you're the freak who is messing up our operations, huh? Well, tough luck, pal, 'cause I'll make sure you don't cause any more damage!" Ryoko shouted, launching her first attack on the black robot and shooting an hail of bullets from her Rapid Rifle. The black robot expanded its Distortion Field and effortlessly took all of her fire, making Ryoko bite back a swear word and get ready to maneuver in order to avoid a counterattack...

But the counter never came. The black robot ignored her, much to Ryoko's surprise, and continued speeding towards the colony, as if its pilot was uninterested in fighting her. The other Aestivalis of the Lion's Sickle battallion opened fire on their enemy or tried striking it with their Field Lancers, but it was simply too fast for them, and it managed to dodge everything and continue on its way to Amaterasu, unharmed and unstoppable.

"What... what the Hell is that guy doing?" Ryoko asked herself, seething with rage but managing to keep her aggression under control. "He's not even trying to fight us... and yet, he blew scores of unmanned units to kingdom come. But more importantly, what is he after?"

Snorting in annoyance, Ryoko grabbed her Aestivalis' cloche and sped after the fleeing black robot, desperate to know a little more about this elusive and unreadable foe. "Damn you... you're not going to get away like this!"

oooooooooo

"Captain Hoshino, we're ready to launch whenever you want!" Fiona said from the Excellence's cockpit. The young red-haired pilot had switched over to the Striker Frame, and was now waiting in position on the Nadesico B's launch catapults as Ruri once again got her place on the captain's seat. "I and Lt. Saburouta will take down that black robot!"

"Calm yourself, Fiona. We're not going to engage the opponent right now." Ruri answered calmly, surprising Fiona a little. "The Nadesico B's priority for now will be to act as a backup and assist in evacuating civilians."

"That is correct." Mitsuko went on, seated near Hari as the young boy frantically tried to keep the battle monitored. The female mechanic pointed to a monitor, which showed a few civilian shuttles beginning to evacuate the colony, trying to keep as far away as possible from the battle. "Furthermore, I think good ol' Azuma doesn't really want us to interfere with his battle."

"For now, we'll just wait here and monitor the events." Ruri stated. "Hari, please, could you hack once again into Amaterasu?" When the young boy turned to the captain in puzzlement, Ruri opened a small comm screen beside her, showing the same cryptic, seemingly incomprehensible word which had been spammed throughout the colony's screens for a few minutes: OTIKA.

"Password is: AKITO. This word, written backwards." Ruri stated, ignoring Hari calling out to her in an attempt to have the situation explained to him. "IFS retrofeedback at Level 10. Control systems activated. All stations, remain in A-Level alert. Lt. Saburouta, Miss Grayden, please be ready to go out at any moment now."

"Alright, Captain Hoshino..." Fiona answered, as Ruri's seat was lifted in the air by a few inches and surrounded by a plethora of luminous screens, which formed a sphere-like structure around her body. The teenaged Captain inhaled and briefly closed her eyes, as the word AKITO replayed in her mind, bringing an host of bittersweet memories along with it.

And, for the first time since her foster parents disappeared, Ruri Hoshino smiled, a sweet, sincere smile filled with hope that, perhaps, not all was lost.

oooooooooo

"Okay, this is messed up..." Lahge commented, as he watched the battle on the screens of the Nadesico B's bridge. "Now that black robot has stopped fighting and is heading towards the colony... for what reason? What does the pilot hope to gain from that? The enemy's true objective... is really unclear to me..."

Outside the colony, dangerously close to the Nadesico B, the elusive invader was giving Ryoko the fits. No matter how much the female ace pilot and her wingmen pressed their attack, the enemy was always able to repel it with its Distortion Field, and as of now, its black armor didn't even have one dent upon it.

"Dammit! This is getting nowhere!" Ryoko swore. A group of unmanned Aestivalis, joined by a small force of weird-looking grey robots with a bulky body and large missile pads mounted on their shoulders (a new model of unmanned weapon known as Sternkugel among the military), came out to stand in the black robots' way... but the mysterious enemy reacted in a way Ryoko and her underlings certainly did not expect: it shed a layer of its outer armor, whose chunks flew at the unmanned unit with such speed that they actually managed to fatally damage them! Ryoko watched in a mixture of surprise and horror as huge fragments of black shrapnel pierced the unmanned unit's metallic hides, causing them to explode. The idea that, if the mysterious pilot had wished so, that would have been her fate as well almost made the fearless female pilot balk in disbelief... but her aggressiveness quickly overtook her fear, and she produced a large rail gun from her Aestivalis' back, firing a few shots at the fleeing black robot.

"Damn you... do you think you're Gekiganger or something?" the girl shouted, nimbly dodging a few pieces of black shrapnel headed her way. As of now, the black robot was dangerously close to the colony, a fact which was not lost on the Nadesico crew... and especially Ruri, who quickly caught sight of one of her screens reporting an anomaly.

"The door is opening. What is that supposed to mean for us?" Ruri calmly asked, talking more to herself than to anyone else...

oooooooooo

Commodore Azuma and a few members of Amaterasu's military personnel were monitoring the battle from the colony's headquarters... and what had suddently popped up on the screens had caused the hotheaded commodore's jaw to drop in disbelief: according to the trasmitted data, the mysterious black robot was entering the colony from an entrance called Gate 13; which, in itself, would have already been a sufficient cause for alarm, were it not for another issue which made it all the more unsettling.

"W... What?" Azuma stuttered, his previous bravado giving way to uncertainty and fear. "The... the myterious invader is breaking through Gate 13? What... what the Hell does that mean? There was not even supposed to BE a Gate 13 in this godforsaken colony!"

Quickly glancing around, as if searching for an explanation to this all, Azuma began histerically questioning the soldiers, most of which stepped backwards in confusion. "What's this all about? I knew nothing of a Gate 13 in this colony... and I'm in charge of the military here!" he shouted, getting more and more enraged by the second. "Does anybody have an explanation for this?"

"As you can plainly see, Commodore Azuma, there _is_ a Gate 13 after all." This cryptic answer came from Aritomo Shinjo, the young officer who had accompanied the Commodore during the first phases of the black robot's attack. Unlike most of the military in the room, Aritomo looked pretty unconcerned with what was happening... as if he already knew that this was going to happen sooner or later...

"Lieutenant Shinjo? What do you mean by..." Azuma started to inquire...

But he was denied any chance to continue. The back door slid open, and several men, wearing the New Federation uniform and armed with small machine guns, quickly entered the command room and pointed their weapons at Azuma, who stepped back in disbelief as Aritomo himself drew a pistol from the inside of his uniform and aimed it at his former superior!

"It means that this silly charade is over." Aritomo stated matter-of-factly. "It is a shame that we could not keep it up any longer, but we already have what we need in any event. That man's persistence was indeed troublesome, but even he could not hold us back for long."

"Wh... Wh... WHAT?" Azuma practically roared, but he dared not make foolish moves in front of several machine guns aimed at him and his few remaining soldiers. "Aritomo! You dare point your weapon at a superior officer? At an officer of the New Earth Federation? This... this is treason! I will have you executed as soon as this mess is sorted out! You hear me? You won't get away with this!"

In the face of Aritomo's smug stoicism, Azuma's anger looked more and more like a childish temper tantrum. "You are not exactly in a position to threaten us, Commodore. And in any case, we do not recognize your authority. Take this man away. We'll take care of him and his minions as soon as we solve this little dilemma."

Aritomo's soldiers quickly marched towards the few remaining Amaterasu loyalists and began rounding them up and immobilizing them, starting with the furious Azuma, who nonetheless continued thrashing and cursing in a feeble attempt to get free and reassert his own authority. "Ugh... Aritomo, you... you damn betrayer!" he roared. "And just who are 'you', anyway? What are you planning to do by hijacking our Hisago Plan?"

"The Hisago Plan was never yours in the first place, Commodore Azuma." Aritomo answered. "We only allowed you to think so, while in fact you were doing all the work for us. And as for your first question... we are the enemies of Earth, the enemies of Jupiter, the enemies of Neo Zeon and ZAFT... and the enemies of all the corruption that's running rampant in these wretched times."

As if on cue, Aritomo and his minions unbuttoned the front of their uniforms... only to reveal another uniform underneath! A beige uniform wih long red sleeves and a red male symbol drawn on the chest...

"We are the Martian Successors!" Aritomo exclaimed, with a triumphant smirk.

oooooooooo

The black robot and Ryoko's red Aestivalis continued their frantic cat-and-mouse game, speeding through the colony's gate and entering a narrow tunnel digging into Amaterasu's interior. As soon as the Lion's Sickle leader was in, though, another batch of unmanned Aestivalis and Sternkugel took off from some hidden hangars and flew towards her, in an attempt to stop her from going any further. Growling in annoyance, Ryoko grabbed her Field Lancer and sliced apart a Sternkugel before it could aim its missiles, before sending its torn carcass to explode on the tunnel's floor. More unmanned units tried to get between her and the fleeing black robot, but the ace pilot took them out with almost contemptuous ease, and resumed her chase.

Just then, on board the Nadesico B, Ruri decided that the moment to strike back had come. "Very well. We will now be entering the fray ourselves. All units, stand ready for launch. Pilot Grayden, Lieutenant Saburouta, are you ready?"

"All system ready! We're clear for launch, Captain!" Saburouta answered cheerfully.

"I'm still not sure what's going on here... but I'm ready too!" came Fiona's reply from the Excellence Striker's cockpit. Normally, the bulky red frame would have been ill-advised for a space battle, but considering there was very little distance between the Nadesico B and the colony, after which Fiona would have had to simply proceed in the colony's interior, the Striker was good enough. "Fiona Grayden, Excellence Striker, ready for launch."

"Tarasugi Saburouta, Super Aestivalis, ready as well." the blond Jovian pilot piped up. Ruri nodded, giving both of them permission to launch... and one second later, Hari activated the catapults, and the two units were propelled into space, heading for Gate 13. As both of them headed after the mysterious black invader, Fiona opened a communication with the Nadesico B's bridge... and, more exactly, with Lahge and Mitsuko, who were supporting both the Captain and Hari.

"Lahge, Mitsuko... exactly, what's going on here?" Fiona asked. "First we get some hints that Captain Hoshino's adoptive father may not be dead after all... and then, this happens. What's going on in that colony?"

"We're still not 100% positive..." Mitsuko answered. "But it seems that someone is doing a takeover from within. The location the black robot forced its way into, and for which you're heading at the moment, was not even supposed to exist, according to the colony map in the Nadesico B's computers."

"Be careful, Fiona, we're not sure what you'll be up against in those corridors." Lahge cautioned, to which Fiona gave a nod and powered up her thrusters, sprinting towards the secret gate with Saburouta's Super Aestivalis closely following. Fiona landed her combat frame and activated her radars, locating the position of both the black robot and Ryoko's Aestivalis... and a few more enemies approaching from their right side!

"My, my... they're not skimping on the welcome committee, are they?" Saburouta joked, as he turned towards the attackers - another mixed group of AI-piloted Aestivalis and Sternkugels. Fiona pointed her Excellence S's claw arm to the enemy and let loose with a Prisma Beam that pierced through a Sternkugel's armor, destroying the weird-looking unmanned weapon, while Saburouta used a pair of shoulder-mounted beam rifles to take down a pair of Aestivalis. This allowed the two pilots a brief moment of respite, which they used to advance further in the colony's innards.

"Less talk, more shooting, please!" Fiona pleaded, unleashing another Prisma Beam and taking down another Mass-Produced Aestivalis. "They may be AI-piloted, but there are many of them."

"Don't worry, miss, I know what I'm doing." Saburouta answered, still cheerful but with a somewhat more serious edge to his voice. "Meanwhile, the lady in front of us is paving some road, I see..."

Fiona looked in the direction Saburouta was mentioning, only to see the flashes of the colony's unmanned guardian exploding one after the other. She nodded, and then followed Saburouta deep in the colony's interior, nimbly navigating through the narrow corridors and between the walls in an effort to keep up with the black robot and the Amaterasu ace pilot. After a few minutes of searching around, the Nadesico B pilots finally stumbles upon Ryoko's red Aestivalis, standing with barely a scratch among a pile of destroyed mechanical parts, all belonging to the colony's defense automatons.

Alarmed, the girl aggressively turned against the two newcomers, pointing her railgun at them... but relented somewhat when she saw Saburouta's Super Aestivalis. "You two... who are you, and what are you doing here?" she demanded, losing none of her edge.

Saburouta was not put off in the least, but he did make a mental note to approach that girl with a little caution... she sounded like a bit of a spitfire!

"Now, now, miss, no need to get all hasty on us..." the Jovian pilot answered. "We have come on behalf of the New Earth Federation's Fourth Fleet... we're the pilots of the Mobile Battleship Nadesico B, currently investigating the recent Boson Jumping incidents in the Hisago Plan colonies."

That caught Ryoko's attention and convinced her to drop her guard somewhat. "The... Nadesico B?" she asked, right before a communication screen, with Ruri's face upon it, popped up above her consoles. Ryoko's face lit up with relieved surprise, recognizing the young child prodigy who had been the first Nadesico's mascot during the first war, three years earlier.

"It has been some time, Lieutenant... or should I say, Captain Ryoko Subaru." Ruri greeted, the shadow of a smile on her pale face. "I see you are doing well."

"Heh... I could say the same about you, kiddo. It's been almost two years now, and it feels like an eternity..." Ryoko answered... before glancing around, seeing the wreckages of the unmanned units she, Saburouta and Fiona had destroyer. "Damn, those guys were persistent... but what could be hidden down here that they want us to stay away from so badly? And by the way, who's the chick in the red robot?" She pointed to the Excellence Striker, to which Fiona opened another comm window herself.

"The name is Fiona Grayden, and this robot I'm piloting is called Excellence S... it's a bit of a long story." Fiona answered. "For now, suffice to say that I and my friends have been rescued by the Nadesico B's crew, and we're lending them our cooperation as a manner of thanks. I'll tell you more once we get out of this mess..."

"Yeah... by the way, where has the black one disappeared to?" Ryoko answered. "There don't seem to be any more traps for now, but I think I'd better lead the way from now on."

"Thanks, that would be advisable." Ruri thanked, as Ryoko led Saburouta and Fiona in the colony's interior, in search of the mysterious invader. "The black robot infiltrating the colony at the moment... I seem to have a hunch about its pilots' intentions, and I would like to speak with the pilot to confirm them."

"Alright... By the way, Ruri... you hacked into the colony's systems, did you not?" Ryoko asked suspiciously.

Ruri nodded slowly. "Indeed. But the enemy is doing so as well, and this is an emergency. Furthermore, I was not the one who did the job. It was my vice-captain, Hari Makibi, right here beside me." she answered... much to Hari's chagrin!

"Hey, captain!" he exclaimed. "There was no need for you to say that!". Fiona, Saburouta and even Ryoko couldn't help but chuckle a little at the young boy's embarassed behaviour... but they quickly turned serious again as their radars picked up a signal coming from the black robot that had infiltrated the colony. The supposed enemy was right in front of them... and in a few moments, the three pilots came in eye contact with the opponent, who had stopped in front of what looked like the doors of a huge hangar. A pair of cables, sneaking out of the black robot's outer chassis, had been inserted in some plugs besides the entrance.

In a moment, Ryoko flew towards the unknown opponent, always keeping her guard up in case an attack came... and tried to communicate with the shadowy pilot, managing to open a channel at her second try.

"Hey, you! Pilot of the black machine, do you copy?" Ryoko asked... then, without waiting for the mysterious person to answer the question, she continued. "Someone wants to speak to you, right now. Ruri, open the communication now."

Another screen opened up besides Ryoko, and Ruri began speaking, expertly hiding her fear and anxiety. "Greetings... I am Ruri Hoshino, captain of the Mobile Battleship Nadesico B, of the New Earth Federation's Fourth Fleet. I apologize for my aggressive methods, but it is a matter of the utmost importance. Please, do tell me... who are you?"

Finally, the mysterious pilot seemed to relent a little... and when his window opened up in front of Ruri, the young captain almost gasped in shock: even though a black visor covered the top half of the unknown man's face, there was something unbelievably familiar about him... sure, his features were somewhat harder, colder... but it was still there, as if begging to come out of that dark shell...

"Lapis. Analyze and enter password." the man answered coldly, as Lahge and Mitsuko tried to study his features better. He looked quite young overall... possibly not much older than Ryoko... but his features were a lot harsher, and something about his demeanor looked alien, almost frightening to the two operators. There was something inherently... wrong... about that guy, but Mitsuko and Lahge couldn't really put their fingers on it, and despite his dark appearence, he didn't really seem to be evil...

But there was no time to reflect on this. A puff of white smoke came from the enormous hangar, as its doors parted, revealing an incredibly long corridor that seemed to stretch off into infinity... except for a strange, disquieting light at the end of it.

"There is no time for that." the black robot's pilot went on. "Verify but yourself, if you want."

"Wh... What?" Fiona stuttered in disbelief, nervously trying to zoom in on the point of light with the Excellence's cameras. "What the heck is that... thing? It looks like... some kind of enormous box inside the petals of a flower!"

Ryoko's eyes widened in horror as she tried zooming in as well... and when she saw what the thing at the end of the tunnel was, she impulsively boosted her red Aestivalis towards the light, gritting her teeth and fighting back tears. She was all too familiar with that thing... something she wished never to see anymore!

"Ruri! Have you... have you seen THAT?" she shouted, pain and confusion evident in her voice as the Excellence, Saburouta's Super Aestivalis and the black machine followed her. "What the Hell is that... that THING doing there?"

"Please, Miss Ryoko, calm down..." Ruri pleaded... but it was clear that the discovery had demoralized her and Saburouta as well. Fiona, while still ignorant of what exactly was going on, had quickly understood that, whatever was inside that corridor, it was something that had given quite a lot of grief to the former Nadesico crew. She furrowed her brow, as she readied the Excellence S's clawed arm for anything that might have come to attack them...

"Those..." Saburouta said, examining the images on his screens. "Those are the ancient Ruins of Mars! Their form has changed somewhat... but there is no mistaking it! I was there when they had been unearthed!"

"Yeah... three years ago, when we put an end to the war between Earth and Jupiter..." Ryoko murmured. Fiona listened intently, finally gaining some more insight on what was happening. "We thought we had sent the Ruins far away, where no one could ever gain control of them again..."

"The Ruins of Mars are the Black Box that controls Boson Jumping all over the universe... it's an ancient technology that should never have been discovered." Ruri explained to Fiona, Lahge and Mitsuko. "Three years ago, the war between Earth and Jupiter was caused by the desire for possession of this mighty relic... we thought we had sent them away, but as we all can plainly see... that does not appear to be the case. So, this was the secret of the Hisago Plan."

Fiona snorted, in a mixture of annoyance and indignation. "No wonder they didn't want us to find out about this..."

"Indeed." the mysterious man at the helm of the black robot answered.

"Damn... so, Akito and Yurika's souls cannot rest in peace!" Ryoko shouted in powerless fury. "Who... who could ever do such a thing... and for what reason?"

She wasn't really expecting an answer, but it came nonetheless... in the form of a large screen blinking into existence right in front of the small group of fighters!

"This is all for the good of humanity as a whole!" exclaimed the man in the new screen... a man who seemed to be in his forties, with short, neatly cropped and combed black hair, and wearing a uniform similar to the one worn by Aritomo and his followers: a beige colour all over, with red sleeves and a red male symbol drawn on the chest. His face was hard and unkind, and his beady black eyes shone with a mixture of fanaticism, hatred and evil as he glared at Fiona, Ryoko, Saburouta and the black robot's pilot.

Ryoko felt bile rising in the back of her throat, as she recognized the man. "You... It's YOU!" she practically growled.

"Miss Ryoko! You know this guy?" Fiona asked, having a very bad feeling about all of this...

"She does... and I do, too!" Saburouta answered. "This man was my superior, once... Haruki Kusakabe, former Admiral of the Jovian Army, believed dead immediately following the Earth-Jupiter war, three years ago!"

"What?" Fiona exclaimed in disbelief. The pieces of the puzzle were finally starting to come together...

oooooooooo

After finishing the preparatives and checking that all passengers were on board, the last shuttle from Lahsa had taken off, just barely avoiding the asteroid bearing down on the city. Among its passengers, Hathaway, Quess and Adenauer were seated in a front row, besides a window from which it was possible to see Luna-5 beginning its descent towards Earth, an ominous red aura flaring around it as the friction with the atmosphere burned off some of its parts. It was a frightening sight, and the only thing keeping the passengers from panicking was the knowledge that, at this point, they were too far to be hit by the asteroid's debris...

At least until, for some unclear reason, Quess raised her hand, trying to get the shuttle pilot's attention. A strange feeling of dread and alarm coursing through her mind, the young teenager called out at the top of her lungs. "Pilot! Pilot! A ball of fire is coming this way! You have to get away from here!"

"Be silent." her father sternly warned, as Hathaway turned to the girl in confusion... and one second later, a burning piece for debris, detached from Luna-5 and wandering away from the asteroid's main body, bore down on the shuttle! Quess' warning had managed to barely save the passengers, as the shuttle pilot immediately made the vehicle dive to its right, the burning wreckage missing it by only a few metres! The people began screaming and calling out in panic as they were violently thrown but the sudden movement... and even Quess was lifted from her seat and tossed aside, only to get promptly saved by Hathaway grabbing her and cushioning her fall. Adenauer, on the other hand, managed to remain seated... but the sudden danger completely washed away all of his previous attitude, and the man put his hands on his head and cowered pathetically in his seat, without even sparing a glance to his daughter.

"Aaaaah!" he screamed, before slumping down, as pale as snow. "P-Please... God... save me..."

Quess and Hathaway quickly recomposed themselves, and the turquoise-haired girl breathed a sigh of relief before thanking Hathaway for saving her from a bad fall. Then, as the two stood up, Quess spared a disgusted glance at the trembling form of Adenauer Paraya, the man who claimed to be her father, and yet, even at that moment, could not be bothered to even check and see how she was doing.

"_Tch... this man is only thinking of himself..._" Quess thought to herself. "_I am ashamed that such a person is my father..._"

oooooooooo

One hour later, from a train getting away at top speed from Lahsa, Mirai Noah and her daughter Cheimin were looking in wonder and horror at the massive form of Luna-5 slamming upon Lahsa, quickly reducing the city, along with the New Federation headquarters and all those who had failed to get away in time, to burning rubble. The sky was dark, angry red flashing through it as a huge fireball rose up in the air, and a blinding light bathed everything for miles around.

The disaster was of unimaginable proportions... and Mirai and Cheimin knew all too well that this was only the start of Neo Zeon's plan to plunge the world into nuclear winter.

Char Aznable had declared war on Earth.

oooooooooo

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Quite a few things happened in this chapter, did they not? Not only did we see that Terminal failed to stop the Luna-5 drop, and our heroes were badly beaten by their sworn rivals... but we also saw what was really going on with the Hisago Plan, and how the Martian Successors, led by Haruki Kusakabe - an old enemy of the first Nadesico crew - had manipulated events behind the scenes. Sure, there are things who are not completely clear as of now, but be patient, and you will get your explanations!**

**In the next chapter, the battle for the Amaterasu colony enters its next stage, as the Martian Successors unveil a dreadful weapon and both Fiona and the Nadesico crew make an even more horrifying discovery...**

**See you later!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Super Robot Taisen S**

oooooooooo

**Welcome back, everyone! I could see that my latest chapter was quite popular among Super Robot Taisen fans, and for that I can't help but feel quite proud of myself! After a few chapters of buildup, things have really gotten rolling in both the Luna-5 battle and the Amaterasu Colony... especially in the former, where the Nadesico crew, joined by former crewmember Ryoko Subaru, and Fiona came face to face with an horrible realization. An old enemy from the Nadesico's past, former Jovian Admiral Haruki Kusakabe, has come back to get his revenge... and his means for doing so is the Hisago Plan, though it's still not clear how. **

**More, and more horrifying, revelations await for the protagonists in this chapter, where the real identity of the mysterious pilot comes clear... and the real depths of the Martian Successors' evil are revealed. The heroes will need to find a way to turn the tables on their ruthless opponents... the question is, how?**

**Well, this chapter will probably be a first step towards getting to this goal. Get ready, everyone, because this is going to be one heck of a ride!**

oooooooooo

**Chapter 7 - The Goddess Of Mars**

In the interior of the Amaterasu colony, in front of such an unbelievable discovery and the reappearence of one of the Earth Federation's most fierce enemies, most of the pilots had remained positively stunned, and they could do nothing more than stare with restrained anger at the figure of Haruki Kusakabe almost taunting them with his very presence. So intent was Ryoko in staring at the old enemy reappearing in front of her, as if she wanted to reach through the screen and strangle him with her bare hands, that she almost didn't realize she was in danger before the pilot of the black robot warned her.

"Take care, Ryoko!" the mysterious man exclaimed, making the ace pilot jump in her seat. Then, her reflexes honed by years of both simulated and real fighting, Ryoko swerved her Aestivalis to her left... just in time to avoid a new enemy that seemed to have literally appeared from thin air: a squat, legless beige combat robot armed with a staff, its appearence somewhat similar to that of a Buddhist monk, that was speeding towards her red Aestivalis! The Nadesico B's crew scattered, as more robots of the same type appeared and dashed towards them, attacking with chilling coordination with quick thrusts of their staffs. Fiona cursed and blocked an attack with the Excellence S's clawed arm... before rearing the arm back and delivering a strong punch to the offending opponent, sending it reeling! Unfortunately, a Distortion Field encircling the enemy prevented it from taking more damage, and the monk-like robot was quickly on the offensive again.

As he parried another opponent's strikes, Saburouta spared his radar a quick glance, and could not hide some worry when he saw that there were seven enemies in all... six of the unidentified monk-type robots, and a larger, more threatening robot: its overall form was reminescent of the other six, down right to the weapon with which it was attacking, but it was red all over, it did have legs, and its head was somewhat more elongated...

"This is crazy! How can these guys do such moves?" Ryoko asked to no-one in particular, after getting some distance from two of the smaller beige robots who were trying to double-team her. Despite their seeming small size, her opponents were moving with unnerving speed and grace, performing maneuvres the ace pilot never even thought possible for a humanoid weapon. The black robot floated beside her and quickly targeted one of the enemies with a red laser beam, knocking it off balance and almost sending it hurtling towards one of the walls...

"This has got nothing to do with you. Get away from here." the pilot with the black visor cautioned Ryoko, as Saburouta and Fiona slowly backed up against a wall to prevent the agile monk-robots from sneaking up from behind on them. The red leader, who was floating above the battle, seemed to be uninterested in entering the fray, at least for the moment, and appeared to be watching his minions and their opponent duke it out with grim satisfaction...

"Well, what do you know, this _does_ have something to do with me!" Ryoko protested. She had never been the kind of person who liked to get upstaged in battle, anyway...

A cruel, triumphant laugh, coming from the red robot standing on the sidelines, broke the argument between the hot-headed girl and the ice-cold individual... and both of them glanced upwards to see the leader of the monk-robots skillfully twirl its staff in its hands. Its pilot opened a communication with both Ryoko and the mysterious pilot of the black robot... and the girl was shocked to see that at the helm of the red robot was a strange man in silver battle armor and a matching helmet, his (its?) face a mask of insanity, a cold smirk playing on his (its?) thin lips, and mismatched eyes - the iris was blood-red on the left eye, giving him (it?) a bloodthirsty countenance... while the other iris was a pure, unsettling white which made the actual pupil look like a small black pinhead. If there was something wrong about the black robot's pilot, this went double for this guy as well...

Then, he (it?) spoke, with a voice dripping with cruelty.

"In one night... to the heavenly fields extends the spiral of the universe." the silver-clad individual said, creating a chilling echo... and then, the red robot grabbed its battle staff and prepared to swoop down to attack. "Die in front of your woman."

"Woman...? What is that guy..." Ryoko asked herself... before noticing that, for the first time since they had met, the black robot's pilot had noticeably changed expression, going from a cold neutrality to an expression of rage and distress. Some disquieting shining lines were appearing on his cheeks and chin, denouncing the young man as someone - something - more than human...

Saburouta pointed to the ruins in alarm. "I think we're going to get an explanation soon... will you guys look at that!" the Jovian ace pilot shouted, as he tried to defend himself from a skillfully coordinated attack from two of the monk-robots. Both factions immediately broke up the combat, as the Nadesico B's crew watched with fear and awe as the mysterious "box" slowly opened up, like the petals of an overlarge flower...

And a few seconds later, the "box" had completely opened, revealing something that chilled Fiona to the bone! Inside the eldritch artifact was a female figure with flowing hair, whose face was permanently frozen in an expression of serene sleep, surrounded by an innatural white-grey light... but even though she didn't recognize her, Ryoko, Ruri and the black robot's pilot certainly did!

That woman was, without a shadow of a doubt, Yurika Misumaru, the captain of the first Nadesico-class battleship and Ruri's adoptive mother, believed dead in a tragic accident two years before... and now she was there, in front of some of her former crewmembers, although certainly not the way they remembered her!

"That's... Yurika..." Ruri murmured, her face contorting for a rare moment in shock. "Then... it was just as I thought..."

"If that's Yurika, then..." Ryoko deduced, turning her head to the black robot's pilot, whose identity was now all too obvious to the female ace pilot. "Then... you must be... Akito? Akito Tenkawa... I mean, Akito Misumaru? It's you, isn't it?"

The young man's dread-inducing silence was enough of an affirmative answer for Ryoko, who shuddered in horror. What had happened to Akito and Yurika in those last two years? Ryoko remembered Akito as a likeable idealistic fool who was opposed to war and violence, and liked watching anime... and Yurika as an happy-go-lucky ditz who could nonetheless perform incredible feats of strategy and leadership. And now... now they had been turned into tragic parodies of what they had once been! What... what could have changed them so much?

There was no time to reminisce, as the silver-armored man piloting the red robot gave a signal to his wingmen, who immediately scattered and came bearing down on Fiona and the Nadesico B's crew! "You've had your reunion... now, Akito Tenkawa, die in your misery!" The man exclaimed, as suddently all of his minions launched a massive, coordinated assault, striking the Excellence S and the Aestivalis with their staffs! The red robot itself took flight and attacked Akito's black robot, forcing the younger man on the defensive!

"Hokushin!" Akito shouted furiously, as his black robot shot a double red beam at his opponent, narrowly missing him. "So this is what you and your boss were aiming for, right? The Hisago Plan... it was all just a front to hide your operations!"

The man, now identified as Hokushin, smirked nastily in return. "Quite correct, Akito Tenkawa. But... this will not avail you in the least now! You should know already that your Blackserena is no match with my Yatenkou! And in the meantime, your little friends will get slaughtered by my men's Shishikis!" he sneered hatefully, before delivering an harsh whack to the black robot with his battle staff, leaving a fairly large indentation. The Blackserena, Akito's robot, went spiralling out of control for a second, but quickly regained stability and launched itself at the Yatenkou, expanding its Distortion Field in an attempt to smash the red robot against the walls...

In the meantime, Saburouta, Fiona and Ryoko were having their hands full fighting Hokushin's wingmen - and were quickly finding themselves at a disadvantage! Not only were they outnumbered two to one, but their opponents were also horrifically skilled pilots, and their robots moved with unsuspectable agility, almost as if they were ignoring inertia and the laws of physics. Fiona would not have been surprised if it turned out those guys had undergone some kind of artificial enhancement to become that powerful...

"Ugh... don't think you can make light of me! **Crusher Claw!**" the red-haired girl growled, as she reared back her Excellence S's clawed arm. A bright white aura surrounded the heavy limb, and Fiona thrust forward, catching one of Hokushin's men off guard and striking his Shishiki with incredible power! The legless robot was slammed against the corridor's wall, but his companion quickly flew to attack Fiona as she stepped back and tried to get in position once again. Luckily, the girl was quick enough to raise the Excellence S's clawed arm and block the incoming attack, even though she was forced back by the power of the blow.

"These guys are something else... they aren't just your cookie-cutter thugs!" Ryoko exclaimed, trying to evade the assault of two other Shishiki units. Saburouta tried to intervene - maybe for the ulterior motive of scoring some points with the brave leader of the Lion's Sickle - but he didn't even get the time to aim before the two Shishikis attacking him were speeding towards him at breakneck speed, forcing him to focus on the two of them once again. It wasn't an even fight at all: the Nadesico B's crew were struggling to stay alive, while Hokushin and his men seemed to be merely toying with them.

"It's no use, why can't you understand that?" Hokushin sneered. "Your feeble attempts at opposing the new order were doomer before you even attempted! Learn your foolishness!"

The Yatenkou raised its staff, and released a small volley of multicolored lasers from its top, but the Blackserena expanded its Distortion Field and deflected all of them, before literally disappearing from Hokushin's line of sight and reappearing only a few metres beside him, its tip already aglow with a concentrated Distortion Field. The black robot then sped towards the Yatenkou, trying to impale it on its tip, but Hokushin reacted far too quickly and, with another of his cruel smirks, Boson Jumped out of the way as well. Then, as the Blackserena recovered from the failed attack, the Yatenkou hit once again with its staff and began ferociously whaling on it. Luckily for Akito, his robot was a state-of-the-art model, and manged to withstand the onslaught, but still, it was all too clear who the better fighter was...

Fiona parried a staff strike from one of the Shishikis and quickly glanced around herself, in an attempt to assess the situation. Not looking good... there were two Shishikis for each member of the Nadesico B's crew, and Hokushin was running circles around Akito and his Blackserena. Unless something could be done soon, those freaks of nature would soon have gotten the upper hand...

oooooooooo

A group of Martian Successors, armed with machine guns and led by Aritomo and Kusakabe himself, marched in Commodore Azuma's former office, being greeted with an affable smile and a wave of the hand by a very unconcerned Yoshio Yamasaki, who seemed to have remained there just to greet the invaders. In fact, when the leaders of the terrorist group came, he simply stood up from his chair and waved at them, as if greeting a pair of old friends.

"Why, congratulations, Admiral Kusakabe... Vice-Admiral Shinjo... looks like the takeover has been successful and all our plans are falling into place!" Yamasaki said, still wearing that cheerful, almost smug smile of his.

As Kusakabe smiled evilly and walked to what was Azuma's seat just a few hours before, Aritomo nodded and their honor guards took their positions besides their leaders. "Indeed they have, professor Yamasaki. Thank you for your efforts as well... had it not been for your efficiency as a mole and your brilliant mind, our plan would not have seen the light of the day."

"Now, we'll broadcast this message to the whole colony: the control of the Hisago Plan is as of now being passed over to us... to the Martian Successors!" Kusakabe exclaimed.

Aritomo activated a comm device on Azuma's desk, and immediately, more screens appeared all over the colony, startling the few remaining civilians trapped inside. "At once, Admiral!" the young second-in-command answered, before starting to broadcast a speech to everyone still inside Amaterasu. "From this moment on we, the Martian Successors, are retaking control of the Amaterasu colony... and of all colonies related to the Hisago Plan! We kindly request anyone who does not wish to die to leave immediately. No reprisals will be taken against them. Make your choice, then. Surrender and leave with your life, or oppose us and be destroyed."

Needless to say, that announcement had all the remaining population of the colony fleeing for their lives, and additional shuttles were launched from Amaterasu only a few moments later...

oooooooooo

A flashing red light invaded the corridors in which the Nadesico B's crew and Hokushin's men were fighting, and the Martian Successors' elite assassins immediately interrupted their attacks. With a low chuckle, Hokushin floated away from the Blackserena, gloating about his opponents' powerlessness. "Hehehehee... Count yourself lucky, Akito Tenkawa, for it seems like the Goddess of Mars has her eyes on you! We'll just content ourselves with what we've gotten for now!" he exclaimed, as the dangerous red light began invading the whole colony, accompanied by the sounds of explosions all around the team. Ryoko glared angrily around herself, looking for a way to possibly save Yurika despite everything turning against them... but Ruri's orders, coming from the communication screen in front of her, contradicted her.

"The situation has become untenable as of now." Ruri stated, with incredible detachment despite the fact that her foster parents were right in front of her. "We can do nothing but retreat. We'll have better chances in the future."

"Wh... What?" Ryoko muttered in shock and disbelief. "We... We can't leave just yet! Akito and Yurika are right in front of us! We cannot leave them to their fate!"

"We have no other choice, Captain Subaru." Ruri answered, and this time, Ryoko actually saw concern and regret in the teenaged captain's deep golden eyes, despite the fact that she was always so good at not showing her emotions...

Fiona, too, was at first hesitant to leave Yurika to her fate, especially something that sounded as horrible as being hooked up to that artifact for reasons unknown to her, and she was quite dismayed that Ruri was willing to leave her adopted parents to this fate... but the truth was, at the moment they were no match for Hokushin and those other overpowered freaks of nature. Remaining to fight would have been sheer suicide, and there was no choice but to retreat.

"Listen to her orders!" Akito exclaimed, driving his Blackserena between the Nadesico B's pilots and Hokushin's minions, all too willing to be a human shield in order for the others to get away. "I will hold them back for now. You get away from this place."

"And what will you do? Can you get away from here?" Saburouta asked, skeptically. Akito's displeased frown told him that there really was no time to argue, and the Jovian pilot turned his Super Aestivalis away as Hokushin and his men began Bosom Jumping away, and the Blackserena stood in the center of the collapsing structure, seemingly not doing anything to save itself...

As the Excellence S and the two damaged Aestivalis accelerated as much as they could towards the exit of the colony, Ryoko, Saburouta and Fiona kept glancing backwards, hoping against hope to see the black robot following at a short distance or Bosom Jumping near them... but neither happened, and all they could do was get back to the Nadesico B at top speed, dodging the groups of Mass Produced Aestivalis and Sternkugels that werealready beginning to swarm around them...

"Damn... damn!" Ryoko cursed. "Just when we had found them again! This... this can't end like this! It just can't!"

Fiona breathed in relief as the colony's forbidden corridor came to an end, allowing the Aestivalis and the Excellence S to fly into space and head back to their mothership... but the red-haired pilot knew that this was only the beginning of a battle that was sure to leave far too many bodies behind...

"Martian Successors... you will not get away with this!" she swore silently to herself. "You will pay for your crimes... I'll make sure of it!"

oooooooooo

As the colony's corridor began collapsing around him, and the folds of the Martian artifact closed like petals of a wilting flower, once again hiding Yurika from the outside world, Akito and his Blackserena stood floating there, seemingly indifferent to the destruction going on. His eyes, obscured by the black visor that covered the top half of his face, stared with an unreadable expression at the eldritch prison containing his wife... and a moment later, his lips formed a name...

"Lapis." he said.

A soft, childish female voice echoed in his mind, a voice devoid of emotions and with a lonely, forlorn edge to it. "_Yes, Akito._" the mysterious girl named Lapis telepathically droned, and the Blackserena was surrounded by a shining aura for a few seconds, before disappearing, only leaving a ruined corridor behind.

oooooooooo

In the meantime, the atmosphere on board the Ral Kairam wasn't exactly much more relaxed...

"Damn it!" Amuro cursed, slamming his fist on a nearby wall in an act of frustration. "How shameful... and I could do nothing but watch as Luna-5 fell to Earth..."

Bright, Kira and Athrun were more composed, but even they were visibly demoralized by how the Neo Zeon and ZAFT forces had gotten the better of them... and the captain of the Ral Kairam sighed before giving an answer. "Well, we already knew our Mobile Suits couldn't do much against the new Neo Zeon and ZAFT models... I'm afraid our only real chance, at this point, is to head to Anaheim's lunar headquarters. The Nu Gundam, Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice should be almost completed by now."

Having calmed down after venting his frustration for a second, Amuro nodded. It was really lucky that they could count on Terminal and its allies in such a difficult moment. And yet, the fact that the Neo Zeon and ZAFT alliance could pull off such an audacious move in so little time was cause for alarm. "I know, I know... but it's not just that. Both the colonies and PLANTs had been thoroughly inspected not a few months ago, so why couldn't we find any lead pointing to Char and Durandal pulling off something like that?"

"Unfortunately, the simple fact of the matter is, that Neo Zeon and ZAFT have a lot of colonial support..." Kira intervened, sighing wistfully as he looked outside at the vastness of space. "Both Char and Durandal know very well how to appeal to them, and the New Earth Federation's policies regarding Spacenoids are not exactly doing us any favors."

"That's pretty much it." Athrun commented, catching up with the other two pilots and the Ral Kairam's captain. "The colonies and PLANTs did not want us to interfere in the Neo Zeon / ZAFT alliance's plans, and did everything they could to keep their preparations secret and hide their support. We were woefully unprepared for this... and the recent Hisago Plan incidents did not help either."

"As of now, the New Earth Federation is embroiled in a war on two fronts, which is never a good thing..." Amuro reflected, as he and the other pilots stepped into the hangars, where the squad of mechanics led by Astonage Mendoza, an old acquaintance of Bright who had been serving under him since the days of the AEUG, when the war against the Titans and the first Neo Zeon uprising was underway. All were working overtime to repair the damage done to the aces' Mobile suits, but under those conditions, without having the necessary spare parts, it was a difficult tasks at best. The Re-GZ was not a problem, but the Freedom and the Saviour were a little more problematic, thanks to the different technologies they were based on.

Astonage, a meek-looking man with somewhat messy dark brown hair and a slim face with a bit of a stubble on it, wiped his forehead before he noticed the captain and the three pilots approaching and greeting him. "Oh, Captain Noah! I apologize, I was so intent on my work that I didn't see you coming..." he quickly apologized.

With a wave of his hand, Bright told him that there was no need for such formalities. "It's okay, Astonage." he answered, knowing how passionate the Ral Kairam's chief engineer could be about his work. "So, how are our Mobile Suits? Are they salvageable?"

Astonage glanced upwards at the damaged machines, on which the other technicians were toiling. "Difficult to say, Captain. For the Re-GZ, it will take some time but it can be done, but unfortunately I'm not sure I can say the same about the Freedom and the Saviour, at least for the moment. We don't have enough of the necessary replacement parts for them, and we'll have to wait until we get to the lunar HQ before we can make an accurate assessment. For now, we have to do with what we can..."

"We understand." Athrun answered. "Do what you can... and thank you for your work!"

Astonage smiled kindly. "Not at all, my pleasure." he answered. "Then... if it's alright with you, I should get back to my work. We don't know when another emergency might come up, and we're better off having our suits repaired sooner rather than later."

Amuro nodded. "Please do. Thanks, Astonage, we would be in even hotter water if it weren't for you." he said, before the group began walking away, leaving the engineers to do their job and heading for the corridor once again.

Sighing, Kira sat by the nearby window and gave a look of concern at Bright, who stopped by the same window to glance at the Earth. He couldn't help but have sympathy for the veteran captain's plight - his wife and his children were still on Earth, near Lahsa, where Luna-5 was predicted to hit. And he still hadn't received word of their safety, yet he was being stoic and self-controlled for the sake of all those who served under him. It must have been a very stressful situation for him...

oooooooooo

A few hours later, the Ral Kairam had finally landed at the lunar Terminal HQ... and soon after that, Amuro, Kira and Athrun had gone to the development area to inspect the new Mobile Suits being produced. Greeting them, as soon as they emerged from the corridor leading to the working area, was a young woman of clear Chinese ancestry with bright navy blue hair, going in a neatly-combed fringe over her forehead and wearing a light yellow normal suit. She had been supervising the assemblying of the Mobile Suits Terminal was working on, but as soon as Amuro, Kira and Athrun were within sight, she turned to them, waving enthusiastically at the Newtype ace pilot.

"Captain Amuro, Lieutenants Yamato and Zala, welcome back!" she greeted them. Warrant Officer Chan Agi, Anaheim Electronics' technical officer in charge of the Nu Gundam project, approached the three pilots and greeted them with a polite bow. "It is good to see you back... although I'm sorry about Luna-5."

"It is good to see you again as well, Chan." Amuro greeted back, allowing himself a smile. "Unfortunately, we were unprepared for Char and Durandal's latest moves... but I can see that Terminal is already taking steps to remedy this!"

Amuro, Kira, Athrun and Chan turned to the half-finished Mobile Suits - three Gundams, one of which had a white and black color scheme and set of strange-looking funnels mounted on its back, resembling a pair of wings. The other two looked like knock-offs of the Freedom Gundam and its companion machine, the Justice Gundam. The one further on the left was white, with black trim on the chest and blue ankle parts, and a pair of makeshift "wings", formed by DRAGOON pods, were visible on its back. The other one was incredibly similar to the Justice, a red-purple colour all over, with a pair of oversized "wings" and white trimming on its legs and feet.

"Indeed, thanks to the Terminal developers and the Psyco Frame technology we have received from an unknown source..." Chan explained, sombering a little at the last part. "...and for which we're still investigating all possible leads... we have been able to create these revolutionary Mobile Suits which should give us the edge we need against Neo Zeon and ZAFT. The Nu Gundam, the Strike Freedom Gundam and the Infinite Justice Gundam. Lady Lacus herself has confirmed that she will be here as soon as possible, and bring some much-needed reinforcements with her."

"That's good to know." Kira answered, smiling in relief as he heard the news of his girlfriend's arrival. The three pilots and the Anaheim officer floated towards the almost-finished Nu Gundam to allow Amuro to do a first test run and boarded the elevator to reach the hatch on the Mobile Suit's chest.

"Though, one thing I have to say..." Chan commented, in a falsely frustrated tone. "When I first came to supervise the project, most of the people working here didn't want to believe I was actually an engineer from Anaheim Electronics. Can you believe that?"

Amuro offered her a kind smile. "Well, maybe that's because you're too pretty to look like one, Chan." he said playfully, hinting that he and Chan had something more going on between them than simple partnership. To further proof of this, Chan blushed at the comment and let out a very girlish giggle, as a bunch of colourful flowers bloomed comically around her!

"Why, I hadn't thought of that! Hehee..." she admitted with a brief laugh, managing to make even Kira and Athrun crack a smile.

Amuro and Chan reached the Nu Gundam's cockpit, and the Newtype ace sat down at the commands, trying to get himself acquainted with the new Mobile Suit. "So, let's make a resume of this Gundam's capabilities, Chan... not only has it been outfitted with Fin Funnels, but the Psycoframe technology has also been incorporated diectly into the Nu Gundam's cockpit frame, right?"

"Exactly, according to what we've researched about it." Chan answered. "The Psycoframe is composed of countless microscopic-sized Psycomm receptor chips, and this configuration allows us not only to reduce the cockpit's total weight, but also gives a Newtype pilot an edge in reading the opponents' thoughts and movements."

Amuro nodded. "I see... guess I'll need a few days to get used to this all, but in the end, it will be worth it. For now, knowing this is enough. Maybe now we should take a look at the other two suits you're developing."

Amuro and Chan exited the cockpit and climbed back on the elevator, where Kira and Athrun were patiently waiting. "About the Strike Freedom..." Kira began, taking a more attentive look at what would later become his most powerful Mobile Suit. "I see that you have incorporated the DRAGOON system into it..." Athrun, as Kira's best friend, managed to feel a pang of pain in the brown-haired boy's voice. The tragic memories of two years ago, when the girl Kira loved was killed by a shot from a DRAGOON pod, was still fresh in Kira's mind...

"Consider your space awareness, Lt. Yamato, and your outstanding performances with the Freedom and similar Mobile Suits, we thought it would have been worth it to attempt to use this system on your new unit..." Chan answered, as the elevator's arm moved to the Strike Freedom...

On board the Nadesico B, on the other hand, Ruri had just finished making a resume of the situation to Admiral Kouichiro Misumaru, an high-ranking New Earth Federation officer and Yurika Misumaru's father, a rather large and somewhat comical-looking man with a thick black mustache and jet black hair orderly combed behind his head, who still had a somewhat grandfatherly air about him despite his long carreer in a ruthless military environment. Understandably, the man had been quite shocked by the reveal that his own daughter, who he had believed dead for so long, was actually alive - for a very generous definition of the term - and being used by the newly-revealed Martian Successors for their plans.

"You... you mean that my little Yurika... and Akito... are still alive?" Kouichiro stammered, unable to keep his emotions under complete control. Ruri, on her part, was more stoic about it, but it was plain to see that even her had been deeply affected by the latest revelations. Around her, the Nadesico crew, joined by Ryoko, Fiona, Mitsuko and Lahge was listening intently to the conversation.

"It appears to be so." Ruri answered. "The Martian Successors have seized the ancient Ruins of the forgotten Mars civilization, and are possibly using Yurika Misumaru... your daughter... as a living CPU unit for the Bosom Jump control. Your daughter being an A-class Bosom Jumper, it is quite easy to see why... what we still haven't understood, actually, is what happened to her husband, Akito Misumaru, who was acting in a manner quite counter to the person we once knew."

"I see..." Admiral Misumaru murmured, stroking his mustache nervously. "And... about the reappearence of Admiral Haruki Kusakabe. So, it appears that he's the ringleader who caused all the chaos?"

Ryoko stepped up, speaking with barely restrained anger. "Yes... yes, Admiral Misumaru, we saw him with our own eyes, The bastard has survived the rebellion which overthrew him two years ago, and he's been pulling our strings for all this time... we learned that the Hisago Plan was nothing but a ploy from the Martian Successors to set up a Bosom Jumping net all over the Earth Sphere. This way, they will be able to create an entire army of Bosom Jumpers and attack whatever they want, at any moment. We have to stop them before it's too late."

"I... I see." Admiral Misumaru nodded, the gravity of the whole situation hitting him full force and making him feel very old. "Then... we have to take countermeasures as soon as possible. The... The new Nadesico-class battleship, the Nadesico C, should be completed shortly, but for now, I'm afraid you'll have to do with what you have."

"We understand." Ruri nodded calmly. "I was also thinking that, with your permission of course, we should gather the old Nadesico crew, as they would have the most experience dealing with such opponents, and they have repeatedly shown to be capable fighters and crewmembers despite their personal quirks."

Once again, Koichiro Misumaru nodded his assent. "Indeed. Well then, captain Hoshino... we will immediately have an emergency reunion to deal with the situation, while you return to Earth and try to recruit back the old team. For the moment, I'm afraid I can't do much more for you, other than trying to give you full support and get the top brass to support you. Even giving you additional firepower will be a difficult proposition. I'll just try to do whatever I can."

"We appreciate the effort, Admiral Misumaru." Fiona nodded graciously, before gripping her fist and making a solemn promise. "And I can assure you that we'll rescue your daughter and bring back Akito, whatever the cost. We will not let the Martian Successors get away with what they've done, you can count on that."

Admiral Misumaru managed to smile and nod. "Thank you, your efforts are much appreciated." he answered. "I wish you the best of luck... know that the hopes for peace of the whole Earth Sphere are riding on you."

"We do." Ruri answered calmly, before Misumaru's comm screen went off. Hari sighed wistfully and fell back in his seat, as the other members of the crew relaxed.

"So, Captain Hoshino... what's the plan now?" Lahge asked, uncertain what to do.

Ruri sat back in her captain's seat before answering. "First off, we are going to need some resupplying. we'll be heading to Side 1's Londenion colony, and from there we'll try to contact Captain Bright Noah to update him on the situation. We'll head to Earth immediately after."

"I see." Fiona answered. "I do hope Captain Bright and the other managed to complete their mission, at least."

Ruri placed the palms of her hands on the console in front of her, and a few glowing lines appeared on her pale skin, before disappearing again. The Nadesico B's captain, with a dismayed sigh, shook her head slowly in response to Fiona's sentence. "I regret to say that this is not the case." the albino girl told the rest of her crew. "The Terminal forces were unable to stop Luna-5 descent in time, and recent updates show that the asteroid has struck its intended target, Lahsa, where several important New Earth federation headquarters were situated. The number of casualties is still unknown, but a figure in the proximities of the hundred of thousand is feared."

Fiona, Lahge and Mitsuko didn't know whether they were more shocked by this development or by the fact that Ruri was keeping an incredibly controlled demeanor in all of this, despite the fact that her most precious people were at stake, but they weren't about to complain, and simply returned to their places as Ruri ordered to head towards Side 1, with all pilots standing ready in case of another attack. With an heavy heart, the members of the crew all went back to their positions... though Fiona managed to see, out of the corner of her eye, that Saburouta was trying a not-so-subtle attempt to woo Ryoko with his boyish charm, which simply had the tomboyish female pilot shove the Jovian away...

"Alright then... let's see how this turns out..." Mitsuko commented, catching up with Fiona. "Though, I'm afraid to say, that Hokushin guy and his red Yatenkou robot will be nasty customers to deal with..."

"Yeah, I've noticed..." the red-haired pilot commented with a sigh. "I saw some footage of his fight with Akito's Blackserena... I wouldn't even be a warmup for that guy, much as it annoys me to admit it. We need more allies on our side, or we won't even be able to dent those Martian Successor bastards."

"I only hope that the former Nadesico crew are as good as the captain says they are, or we'll be all in hot water." Lahge commented somewhat dejectedly. "This is certainly a messy business. The trial flight for our Excellene has suddently turned into a struggle for survival, and I'm afraid we'll have to further outfit the Excellence for fighting, if we are to stand a chance. The way we are now, the Martian Successors would destroy us without even trying..."

"Whatever must be done, we'll do." Fiona concluded with a shrug. "I'm not happy myself with turning our fathers' Excellence into even more of a war machine, but if those Martian Successors are allowed to have their way, continuing our research won't have much of a point, now will it?"

"That is sadly true..." Mitsuko had to admit. And after seeing what the Martian Successors were capable of doing, she really had no desire to see their ambitions bearing fruit... "Well, then... as soon as I'm able to resume working on the Excellence, I'll try making it faster and more durable. We need that, if we're to defeat those monk robots... man, I wish I could have gotten more data on them, they were really tough, and I'm afraid they will be a major pain later on..."

Fiona sighed again, as the three began walking together towards their quarters. This was going to be a really, really hard period for all of them... and they had seen nothing yet!

oooooooooo

"The success of the Luna-5 drop marks the first important achievement for the Neo Zeon movement and for ZAFT. I have had the opportunity to observe you in action, and I've been impressed with the performance of you all."

The soldiers of the combined Neo Zeon and ZAFT forces clapped their hands in a gesture of recognition after hearing the words Char Aznable had to say about the result of the battle. The hologram speaking to the crews of the Minerva and the other ships of the coalition accepted their gesture with a simple, elegant bow of the head, then cleared his throat and resumed his speech. "Today, we will conclude operations by performing diversionary actions against the Terminal forces. It's a simple plan, but one that should force them to detour their forces elsewhere, in time for us to return to Sweetwater. That will be all. I wish good luck to all of you."

Char did a military salute as the Neo Zeon and ZAFT soldiers clapped again, and the hologram slowly vanished from their sight...

...and, in another room, the holographic projector turned off, as a group of ZAFT and Neo Zeon officers applauded the blond Colonel's intervention. In particular, a motherly-looking long-haired brunette on Char's right, an high-ranking Neo Zeon officer known as Nanai Miguel, looked quite impressed with her superior's words.

"Well done, Colonel Char." a thin, elderly looking gentleman on his left commented.

"Yes, that was first-class oratory!" another, slightly younger man felt the need to parrot. Char himself wasn't exactly pleased with this all, and it showed as he took off the dark blue mantle hanging by his shoulder pads.

"A mere clowning, really." he said to himself, as Nanai offered to take his cape. Char thanked her with a slight nod, and soon after, another holographic projection, this time showing the ZAFT chairman Gilbert Durandal, began a speech of his own.

"My esteemed colleague, Colonel Char Aznable of the Neo Zeon movement, has just said some very effective words to us all." The long-haired Chairman said suavely. "Still, I would like to add something to them. Do not forget what we are all fighting for - namely, a future where all people might be happy, and where wars and suffering will be a thing of the past. Such goals might have sounded utopistic in the recent past... and indeed, even now, the path to upholding them is rife with adversities. And perhaps even more sadly, to obtain peace in the future, we have to fight now against those who are blinded by greed or led astray by misplaced feelings. Indeed, what we are doing could seem hypocritical to some. And yet, do not forget that a greater number of lives will be saved later. Some sacrifices will have to be made for this. Do not falter, loyal soldiers of Neo Zeon and ZAFT, for now we have the chance to write an important page in human history."

Once again, the crews of the Minerva and the other ships applauded the intervention, and even Char and Nanai offered a sign of appreciation, before heading together down a corridor... where they were soon joined by Gyunei Guss, the black-haired teenager who had piloted the Yakt Doga who had faced Amuro during the earlier battle. There was a look of apology in his eyes, but at the same time there was some hint of anger, and it was hard to see if it was directed at himself or his leader. Char and Nanai immediately took notice of him and turned in his direction.

"Colonel." Gyunei said, standing upright and saluting with his right hand. "I apologize for what happened on Luna-5... and I thank you for saving me on that occasion."

"As you know, we have made you into an artificial Newtype at the Newtype Labs. You are quite expensive, Gyunei, therefore we cannot exactly afford to lose you." Char answered, without mincing words.

Nanai had some kinder words to offer the black-haired teen. "Do not concern yourself about it, Gyunei. Get some rest, and be ready for any event." she said, before following the Neo Zeon leader down the corridor. Gyunei stood in his place for a second, apparently mulling over the words of his superiors, before nodding grimly.

"Acknowledge," he said, more to himself than anything else. "Newtype Labs Director, Nanai Miguel."

oooooooooo

The room Char and Nanai entered looked like an expensive and elegant living room, with furniture reminescent of the 19th century of the old calendar, and some exquisite painting hanging by the walls. Three people were already sitting there, apparently waiting for the Neo Zeon leader and his right-hand-woman to make their appearence - Chairman Gilbert Durandal himself, accompained by his adoptive son Rey Za Burrel and a serious-looking woman with shoulder-lenght dirty blonde hair about in her thirties: the actual captain of the Minerva, Talia Gladys, Durandal's aide and lover. The latter two were garbed in the standard ZAFT military uniforms, with Rey's red coat bespeaking of his elite soldier status, while the Chairman was still in the elegant purple dress he was wearing before the Luna-5 battle. The three ZAFT officers greeted Nanai and Char with a polite bow, then offered them a seat nar them, which Char politely declined.

"For now, our operations seem to be proceeding smoothly." Durandal said. "For which, I have to extend my congratulations to you and your soldiers. However, I do have a question - Captain Miguel, do you think Gyunei Guss is fit to join us in this endeavor?"

"He's a bit oversensitive, that's all." Nanai answered warmly. "His skills as a bodyguard are excellent, and surely the scenery of the colony will calm him down."

"Do you not think his abilities have been enhanced a little too much?" It was Talia's turn to speak up. "After all, that could well backfire on him, if his perceptions are too vivid."

Char seemed to shrug the problem off. "He's just young, that's all." he answered. "Furthermore, a lot of the ZAFT ace pilots are only a little over his age, if I understand correctly. Of course, they have not undergone modifications like an artificial Newtype, but... with all due respect, some of them could use a lesson in discipline. Shinn Asuka, for example... he's an excellent pilot, but his self-control does leave something to be desired."

Durandal perceived some veiled critique in Char's words, but he decided not to answer back. "Fair enough, Colonel. Indeed, Shinn can be quite stubborn when he wants to get a job done... but as you could see with your own eyes, he's reliable when it comes down to it. I just wanted to me sure you would not forget that, at the moment, as the leader of Neo Zeon, you need to be careful of your public image."

"Which is why I have every intention to do my part as a politician." Char answered simply, before joining up with Nanai again and leading her out of the living room. "Please, take care of the operations for me."

"Will do, Colonel." Nanai answered, in an affectionate tone that made it clear just how close the two of them were. The Neo Zeon leader and his right-hand-woman

After a brief moment of silence between the ZAFT officers, Rey sighed and spoke up, with palpable concern. "Colonel Char Aznable is really set on his course. Will this not cause problems for us, Gil?" he asked, referring to his adoptive father with his shortened name.

"Char Aznable is such a man, after all." Durandal answered. "Words will have no effect on his will. In the end, it probably will be inevitable that he and us part ways... we will just have to be prepared for when that time comes."

Talia cleared her throat. "In that case, Chairman... I need some time to re-organize our own troops and make sure they're ready for the next offensive. If we are to fight against both Terminal and Char Aznable's forces, we need them to be in optimal shape. With your permission..."

"Permission granted, Talia." Durandal answered, smiling kindly to her. "I trust you will make a good job of it."

Talia smiled weakly back and saluted, before heading back to the hangars...

oooooooooo

TO BE CONTINUED

**Author's Note: Phew, this chapter was harder to write than I thought, and I'm not sure whether it can compare with others I wrote earlier. I did rewatch Char's Counterattack to get a clearer picture of the situation in that movie, but I know I messed up somewhere... Anyway, I hope this chapter was still interesting!**

**The semi-romantic scene with Amuro and Chan (one of my favourite Gundam couples ever) was taken from the CCA manga by Kouichi Tokita, who does give the two of them a little more space, and gives Chan a few funny scenes which make her all the more likeable - I thought that, given the lighter tone of the Super Robot Taisen games in comparison with the original source material, a few light-hearted scenes would fit!**

**Next chapter will be up as soon as I can! In the meantime, I hope Super Robot Wars fans can leave a review! Thank you for reading, and see you soon!**


	8. Nu Gundam To The Rescue

**SUPER ROBOT TAISEN S**

**Welcome back, everyone! Sorry for the time I've taken... Looks like my Super Robot Taisen fanfiction is in full swing right now, and I have no intention to slow down just yet! Since I have a pretty busy life, it may be that upgrades are slower from now on, but I can assure you I will not abandon this story! I'm getting into it too much to stop now!**

**Anyway, this chapter should deal with the aftermath of the reveal of the Martian Successors, and with what the heroes are planning to do to oppose them and the Neo Zeon / ZAFT uprising... not an easy feat to accomplish, all things considered. And in the meantime, Fiona and her friends have their own problems to deal with, concerning both the Excellence's combat capabilities, and the mysterious entity that botched their test flight.**

**But I'll let you see things with your own eyes. For now, let me thank all of my readers for their continued support, and wish you happy reading! Something major is about to go down here!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 8 - Nu Gundam to the Rescue**

"And so, the infamous Admiral Haruki Kusakabe, whom we had thought to have died during the Jovian Hot Blooded Rebellion three years ago, has turned up alive and at the top of a dangerous terrorist organization that has been using our own Bosom Jumping technology against us." Kouichiro Misumaru summed up, talking to the officers of the Earth - Jupiter alliance who were taking part in the emergency reunion. Among those, Admiral Misumaru had recognized his colleague and friend Munetake, whose son had taken part in the first mission of the Nadesico crew and had unfortunately lost his life in the middle of it; and Commander Akiyama of the Jovian Union, captain of the battleship named Kannazuki, which had given the Nadesico A an hard time during the final days of the war. "It seems that the Martian Successors, that's the name of Kusakabe's organization, have managed to infiltrate various layers of the Earth - Jovian alliance military and politics, and the Hisago Plan was nothing but their own complicated ruse to build up a Bosom Jumping net which would allow them to strike unimpeded anytime and anyplace."

"Indeed, from what we've seen, many important figures in both Earth and Jupiter government are sympathizing with Kusakabe and his so-called "crusade" to... to paraphrase their own belief... 'cleanse the universe of any iniquity and impurity, and usher in a new era of absolute righteousness'." Munetake answered, looking at a screen on the wall of the darkened conference room, which showed some of the turncoat officers, politicians and personnel. "The Martian Successors are being backed up by the Crimson Group, Nergal's most significant competitor... and among the many who threw their lot in with Kusakabe, we have discovered many important figures among the scientific and military personnel of the Jovian Empire... among which, Vice-Commander Aritomo Shinjo and top researcher Prof. Yoshio Yamasaki, both of which were in charge of the Hisago Plan alongside Commodore Azuma at the Amaterasu colony."

"Speaking of Commodore Azuma... has anybody heard of him since the capture of the colony?" another officer asked. "He's obviously been captured by Kusakabe and his loyalists, but we still don't know what happened to him after that..."

"We have no idea as well. Every attempt to contact Kusakabe and the Martian Successors has for now resulted in our communications being refused." Munetake answered. "We're still holding out hope that he and his men are somehow still alive, but we have no proof for or against this assumption..."

"About this matter..." Kouichiro Misumaru interjected, this time looking at Commander Akiyama of the Jovian Empire. "Commander Akiyama, you have served under former Admiral Haruki Kusakabe during the Earth-Jupiter war, three years ago. Can you tell us what kind of man he is?"

"I most certainly can, Admiral Misumaru." Akiyama answered, almost proudly. "Admiral Kusakabe is a passionate man, a man of honor who would be willing to die for his cause. This is how he always came across to me, when I served under him." Just then, his demeanor turned solemn, with an almost sarcastic edge, and he shrugged his shoulders... "The problem is, he cannot accept the idea that his ideals may just not be everyone else's ideals. His way is the right way. His way is the only way."

"I see." Kouichiro answered, nodding his head. This was sure to give everyone trouble... Kusakabe was a fanatic with whom there was no reasoning, and this didn't bide well for Commodore Azuma's chances... "Anyway, this threat is quite dire, and merits our full attention. Therefore, I ask that everyone put their personal matters on the back burner for now, and give your contribution to stopping the Martian Successors. Terminal, as of now, is too embroiled in their own battle against Neo Zeon and ZAFT to be of any help against our new enemy. We have to make do with what we have, and with the crew of the Nadesico A, that Captain Ruri Hoshino will be trying to re-gather soon."

"We understand, Admiral Misumaru. Rest assured that we will do our best to stop the Martian Successors." Akiyama answered, his gesture of confidence immediately followed up by that of several officers from both sides.

A dire threat was looming upon everyone... and despite the Earth and Jupiter governments working together, the chances looked grim indeed...

oooooooooo

As the Nadesico B was slowly proceeding on its way, Fiona, Lahge and Mitsuko were standing on the main bridge, keeping an eye on the instruments and being careful for any possible threat that could show up. Neo Zeon and ZAFT fleets had been sighted in the proximities, and in the Nadesico B's actual state, a battle against them could have proven dangerous indeed...

Fiona stared melanchonically at the screen in front of her before sighing and rubbing her tired eyes, her hand casually flicking back a few bangs of red hair. "Okay... the coast is clear for now." she said. "Captain Hoshino, are we clear on our next move?"

"We are." the teenaged captain answered, not even turning to her. After the all-too-short meeting with her adoptive father at the Amaterasu Colony, Ruri had been even more serious and focused than usual, which was no surprise to the red-haired pilot. "We are heading to the Londenion colony to resupply, and afterwards we're heading back to Earth to gather the old Nadesico crew. We'll need their help if we are to stand a chance against Kusakabe and his Martian Successors."

"Tell us about it..." Fiona answered. "Those six monk guys and the red one were really tough... if only there were more of us, we could fight them on a more equal footing."

Ryoko, who was sitting nearby, sighedwistfully. It had been quite a long time since she had seen her fellow pilots Hikaru Amano and Izumi Maki, and while she had heard about how their lives had turned out - Hikaru, the perky otaku of the trio, had become a budding manga artist, while the spaced-out Izumi had somehow managed to make a living out of owning a bar - they hadn't really kept in contact much. It was like going back in time... and she didn't know whether to think it was a good thing or not.

"Heh... it's just like the old times, ain't it?" Ryoko said, somewhat bitterly. "I mean, it will be the three of us fighting together again, and doing some of our usual crazy shit during downtime. When they say that things don't change..."

"Well, miss, actually they do change sometimes..." Saburouta told her, approaching her with an unmistakeable womanizing intent. Whatever possessed the serious and focused Jovian ace pilot to change so much and become a ladykiller wannabe, Ryoko and Ruri would never understand. "For example, now you also have a dashing knight in shining armor ready to come to your aid whenever needed! You just have to say the word!" He winked, and Ryoko felt a blood vessel pop up on her forehead in annoyance.

"Yeah, well... you try ay of your womanizing stunts on my friends, and I'll personlly make sure you can't have any children!" Ryoko shot back hotly. "Am I making myself clear, pal?"

Saburouta stepped back and made a surrender gesture with his hands, but never lost his carefree attitude. "Well, they say forewarned is forearmed, so... guess I'll be stepping back!" he jokingly said, as Ryoko groaned in annoyance, and Hari muttered something under his breath about certain dual-colored perverts getting their due. Fiona and Mitsuko, on the other hand, couldn't help but giggle behind their hands, amused by the little show... and Lahge, true to form, was tuning the craziness out and pretending nothing was actually happening...

"Seriously, one would think that the Jovians would be very much asexuated, what with their culture being built around an anime..." Hari murmured, before turning his attentions back to the screens. "Navigation is clear for now, Captain Hoshino. With this speed, we should be arriving in Londenion in about three hours."

"Good enough." Ruri answered. "We'll just have to keep up the pace, and hope we are no intercepted by any enemy fleet. Just in case... pilots Subaru, Takasugi and Grayden, I want you all to be ready to sortie at any moment. Please, get to the hangars and await for orders."

All the pilots stood up from their places on the bridge and, after answering afirmatively to the order, began walking quickly towards the hangars... stopping only when they heard Hari shout out in alarm! "C-captain Hoshino! Some hostiles have just entered the Nadesico's radar's range! They seem to be ZAFT units, fighting against a smaller number of Earth Federation units... but I can't give more information for now! We're too distant from the place!"

Ruri's facial expression never once faltered, but those who knew her could sense that she was quite bewildered by the whole thing. "This is strange... what is ZAFT trying to achieve, with such an attack?" she asked, talking more to herself than anyone else. "Anyway, we can't remain indifferent to this. All pilots, take your positions! We'll intervene as soon as we're within range. Hari, can you give me an estimate of the opposing forces?"

"Right away!" Hari answered, willing a few more screens into existance with a simple thought. "From what I can gather, it's a group of ZAKU Warriors and Geara Doga, against a smaller number of Murasames and Jegans... and... it seems that a civilian shuttle is wandering around the place! If the battle isn't stopped, the civilians run the risk of getting caught in the crossfire!"

"Damn..." Fiona cursed. "What's the meaning of this?"

oooooooooo

On the Ral Kairam, the situation wasn't any less hectic...

"Captain Bright!" Meyrin reported from her console. "The enemy has started moving again! They're engaging a group of allies in the proximities of Side 1!"

"I see that... They're right between the Moon and Side 1. What are Char and Chairman Durandal hoping to accomplish with this?" Bright Noah said, asking the question more to himself than to anyone else as he quickly inspected the screens.

"I have no idea, Captain Bright... but there's also a civilian shuttle near the battlefield! If we don't stop the battle, the civilians will be at great risk!" Meyrin answered, as she anxiously observed the lights on the screen getting closer and closer. A few minutes more, and the shuttle would have gotten itself in the heat of battle!

"We cannot allow this to happen... contact Amuro, Kira and Athrun at the moon HQ, and try to get them to rescue our allies and the shuttle." Bright ordered. Meyrin quickly nodded and answered with an affirmative, before frantically opening a channel to the Anaheim HQ, hoping it would not reach their ace pilots too late...

oooooooooo

Amuro Ray, sitting in the near-finished Nu Gundam's cockpit, was at the time busy getting a good look at the revolutionary Mobile suit's specs, and especially at the blueprints of the Psyco Frame. There was something that troubled him about the whole deal... it was a known fact that Anaheim Electronics produced weapons for both the New Earth Federation and the Neo Zeon / ZAFT alliance, and there was also the fact that the Psyco Frame was still a largely unknown technology, whose origins were still shrouded in mystery. It was all too probable that Char was already aware of its existence, and if it was indeed true, this would have opened up new and puzzling possibilities...

He was interrupted from his reverie when the Nu Gundam's hatch opened, revealing Chan, already wearing a normal suit. The young Chinese woman looked to be somewhat in an haste... and after Amuro heard what she had to say, it came as no surprise as to why. "Amuro, we've got a new communication from Ral Kairam." she reported. "It seems that the Neo Zeon and ZAFT forces are attacking again... some of our forces are fighting them near the Moon as we speak, and a civilian shuttle is dangerously approaching them."

"I see..." Amuro answered, setting the blueprints aside as he allowed Chan to climb onboard and get on a back seat. "In this case, we'll move to intercept them. It's a good chance to test this Nu Gundam's capabilities. What about Kira and Athrun? Have they been given the same orders?"

"Yes... but the Freedom Gundam is still in no fighting shape." Chan answered as she got seated. "We can only count on the Saviour as a support in this mission."

"We'll make do." the Newtype ace answered. "Very well, then, let's go."

Chan nodded, as the Nu Gundam's hatch closed above them. "I've already given instructions to Mr. October and the other technicians to send a sample of the Psyco Frame to Terminal HQ, and they've told me they would do that right away."

"Good." Amuro concluded, as another comm window opened up beside him, showing Athrun's face.

"Captain Amuro, the Saviour Gundam is ready for takeoff." the former ZAFT ace reported. "I'll follow your lead."

"I'm afraid I'll have to sit this one out. The Freedom Gundam is still being worked on." Kira went on, his comm window opening up as well. "I can only wish you both the best of luck. Please, be careful."

"We will." Amuro finished. "Mass driver booster activated. Nu Gundam, take off!"

"Athrun Zala, Saviour Gundam ready to go!"

A few seconds later, the Nu Gundam took flight for the first time, a white and blue blur against the blackness of space, the Saviour Gundam following not too far behind...

oooooooooo

The Ral Kairam, in the meanwhile, had approached the battle, reaching it just in time to stop the Neo Zeon and ZAFT forces from destroying the inferior New Earth Alliance battalion... and now, the battleship was trying to disrupt the enemy's advancement as much as possible, strafing the enemy with long-range fire before launching a group of Jegan and Murasame Mobile Suit.

"Side cannons, fire a salvo!" Bright was ordering. "All the Jegan units, get in position and return fire!"

Not very far from them, the melee was frantic, though the Geara Doga and ZAKU Warrior units still seemed to be in a slight advantage. A customized blue Geara Doga and an orange GOUF Ignited, a ZAFT Mobile Suit reminescent of Ramba Ral's trademark unit in the One Year War, were leading the charge... piloted respectively by Sgt. Rezun Schneider, one of the few Oldtypes in Neo Zeon's army, and by Durandal loyalist Heine Westenfuss, a ZAFT ace of reknown.

"Hmph! These guys are child's play!" Rezun snarked, as her Geara Doga skewered a Jegan with its weapon. Rezun was a tough-looking woman with long marroon hair, known for being quite contemptful of both Newtypes and Coordinators... but nonetheless, she was a firm believer in Neo Zeon's ideals and her fighting and leadership skills were noticeable, so she still managed to have a place among Char's loyalists. "If this is the best the New Earth Federation and Terminal can come up with, then our war is as good as won."

"Let's not lower our guard just now." Heine, a young boy with somewhat long blond hair cascading in a large fringe on his forehead, warned against complacency as his GOUF Ignited dodged a few lasers from a Murasame and retaliated with an electrified whip. "They've obviously sent a distress call, and it's just a matter of time before they get more reinforcements."

"Whatever, we still managed to get what we needed." Rezun answered. "With all this ruckus, it will be a simple matter for the Colonel to reach Londenion unnoticed. But still, I'd like to get a shot at the Ral Kairam..."

In the meantime, both the Nu Gundam and the Saviour Gundam were approaching the battle... just as the civilian shuttle they had taken notice of earlier became visible through the Mobile Suits' external cameras. A few minutes more, and it would have been under fire...

"Captain Amuro, the civilian shuttle is nearing the danger zone." Athrun announced, forcing the Saviour to the greatest speed it could muster. "If we are to intervene, we have to do it now."

"Acknowledge, Lt. Zala... but it will be a tall order from such a distance." Chan answered, taking a look at the flashing lights of the battle. "Amuro, do you think we have a chance from here?"

The Newtype ace smiled slightly. "Don't worry, Chan, the Nu Gundam has been created for such situations as well." he answered. "I will do it."

The Nu Gundam raised its beam rifle and carefully took aim before unleashing a volley of green laser beams, which struck two Geara Doga and a ZAKU Warrior head on, destroying them on impact and throwing the Neo Zeon and ZAFT forces in temporary disarray! Rezun cursed under her breath and turned to the newcoming opponents, just in time to see the incredibly fast Saviour Gundam approaching another ZAKU Warrior unit and destroying it with a well-placed sword swipe that beheaded the enemy.

"The Saviour Gundam... Athrun Zala!" Heine murmured to himself. His GOUF Ignited turned to the enemy, and he fired a few shots to keep the Saviour at bay, but the purple Gundam nimbly dodged all of them before slicing another Gear Doga apart. Another shot coming from the Nu Gundam's beam rifle destroyed another ZAKU Warrior, and the rest of the Neo Zeon / ZAFT joint forces began a fighting retreat.

"Damn, here come their reinforces..." Rezun muttered. "And to think we were two steps away from taking down the Ral Kairam itself... that would have been a decisive strike!"

"Eh, well... let's just be content with what we managed to do." Heine said. "For now, the misson is complete. To all units, follow our lead! We'll clear the area and head back to the Rewloola."

"Acknowledge!" a few soldiers answered. The Neo Zeon / ZAFT forces began retreating, only stopping to shoot some suppressing fire at the pursuing enemies, just as the civilian shuttle was just a few kilometres away from the battle...

Inside the shuttle, a pair of teenagers was looking out of a window in fear and curiosity, admiring in awe the Mobile Suits that had saved them and the other passengers. As the Nu Gundam approached the shuttle in a protective way, their eyes were immediately drawn to it...

"That's the Mobile Suit that fired earlier..." Quess Paraya said. "It looks like an angel..."

"That's it! It's that new Gundam they were building at Anaheim!" Hathaway Noah intervened enthusiastically. "It's the Nu Gundam!"

However, Amuro, Chan and Athrun did not share the young boy's enthusiasm as they watched the enemy Mobile Suits retreat. Something was off about that attack... and this retreat was doing nothing but confirm the two aces' suspicions.

"They're retreating so soon?" Chan asked. "They barely even put up a fight... what's up with that?"

"This attack was just a distraction..." Athrun deduced. "They wanted to draw our attention away from something else, though I have no idea what."

Amuro nodded. "In any case, we've managed to rescue the shuttle. We'll escort it to the Ral Kairam and make sure the civilians are safely placed on board."

oooooooooo

Meyrin breathed out and smiled in relief as the Nu Gundam and the Saviour Gundam escorted the shuttle and the surviving Mobile Suits back to the Ral Kairam's hangars. As they approached, she couldn't help sparing a good appreciative glance to the newborn Mobile Suit. With those wing-like funnels and its spotless white chassis, the Nu Gundam really looked magnificent, and if its performance was anything to go by, it meant a potent weapon in their possession!

"Captain Bright, the Neo Zeon and ZAFT forces are retreating." Meyrin reported. "The Nu Gundam and the Saviour Gundam are approaching us. They request permission for the shuttle and its passengers to be taken onboard."

"Permission granted." Bright answered with a nod. "Open a communication with the shuttle's pilots and give them the green light for boarding us."

"Right away..." the red-haired comm operator answered, before another object appeared on the radar. "Huh? Captain Bright, we've got another object on the radar! It's approaching us at constant speed... now identified as the Nadesico B! They are back from their mission at the Amaterasu colonies!"

"What? The Nadesico B?" Bright asked in slight surprise. "That's good news. We'll hail them and ask if they can lend us a hand with the civilians. Are they trying to get in contact with us?"

"They are, captain." another operator answered. "I'll patch Captain Hoshino through."

Bright nodded, and a few seconds later, Ruri Hoshino's pale face, framed by silver gray hair, appeared on a comm screen above the captain's seat. Her expression remained neutral and professional, and yet Bright could sense that there was something that was vexing her, something beyond their mission or the failed stoppage of Luna-5. However, neither of the captains wanted to dwell on such things, and they quickly greeted each other with a military salute.

"Captain Bright Noah." Ruri said. "The Nadesico B has come across you and an allied fleet fighting against some Neo Zeon and ZAFT forces, and we came assoon as we could to give you support."

"I appreciate the concern, Captain Hoshino." Bright answered, returning the salute. "However, we have managed to drive away the attacking enemies, also thanks to the aid of Captain Amuro's new Mobile Suit, the Nu Gundam. There are no more enemies to worry about."

"That's good to know." Ruri answered. "Still, the Nadesico B will act as support for the eventual rescue of civilians from the endangered shuttle."

Bright nodded to himself. That was exactly what he had wanted to ask the young captain. "Thank you, Captain Hoshino, that makes things quite a bit easier on us." he answered. "The Ral Kairam already has limited space as it is, and it would have been a little problematic for us to take that many people on board. Alright then... let the shuttle board the Nadesico B. The civilians will be taken on board of her. The Nu Gundam and the Saviour Gundam will instead board the Ral Kairam. We have to extend our thanks to them for taking us out of a serious predicament."

"Captain, there's something strange going on." Meyrin said suddently. "A life capsule detached itself from the shuttle, and seems to be heading towards us."

"What?" the veteran captain asked in puzzlement, as the capsule was being escorted to the Ral Kairam by the Saviour Gundam...

oooooooooo

A little later, in the Ral Kairam's hangars...

"Daddy!" Hathaway Noah exclaimed, climbing down from the lifepod along with the other two passengers he had been sitting with during the travel. The young boy enthusiastically ran to his father and hugged him, to which Bright responded in kind.

"Hathaway, I was worried about you when I heard what happened in Lahsa..." the Ral Kairam's captain said. "But... aren't Mom and Cheimin with you? Where are they now?"

"They remained on Earth... there were problems with the departing shuttles, and only I was able to board the latest flight to space." Hathaway answered. "Mom and Cheimin have left Lahsa by train, and now they should be looking for another way to join us in space. But they're fine, so don't worry about them."

"I'm glad to know..." Bright said in relief. "But tell me... how did you manage to get a place in that shuttle?"

Hathaway motioned to the fedora-wearing man behind him. "It was thanks to Mr. Paraya here... he offered me a place on the last shuttle." he said. "It's all thanks to him if I could come."

Bright nodded and then turned to Adenauer Paraya and to the pigtailed girl following him close behind, obviously his daughter, from what the Ral Kairam captain recalled of him. Adenauer, for his part, tipped his fedora hat forward and spoke in a polite, yet condescending manner... as if it was only his right to be taken on board of the ship and wherever he wanted to go. "I apologize for geting in your way right in this moment, Captain Bright Noah." he greeted.

"Think nothing of it, Mr. Paraya..." Bright answered, keeping a neutral demeanor. "It was only our duty to rescue the civilians on board that shuttle."

"Indeed. But I have not come for idle chatter." the New Earth Federation ambassador answered. "Please, make to the Londenion colony. I have been charged with a special mission for which I have to reach that colony. Do I make myself clear?"

Bright was somewhat taken aback by the man's all too assertive attitude, but didn't comment on it. After a brief moment of silence, he settled for a diplomatic answer which he hoped would make everyone happy. "Well... in all actuality, we were also heading for Londenion to resupply and perform some tests on our latest Mobile Suits, so we have no problem with that." he answered. "Therefore... well... make yourselves confortable. We'll be on our way to Londenion soon."

"I appreciate that." Adenauer said. "Let's go, Quess. We don't want to be in the way here."

The turquoise-haired girl nodded, somewhat tiredly. "Yes, father..." she answered, before following the New Earth Federation ambassador down a corridor, dragging her suitcase along... at least until, a little to her surprise, Hathaway offered to carry it for her. Quess looked at him quizzically for a little while, but graciously accepted his offer.

Soon after, both Amuro and Athrun, whose Gundams had safely boarded the ship, joined Bright, with Chan not far behind. "Captain Bright, that man over there..." Athrun ventured, his green eyes affixed on the corridor where the Federation executive has disappeared into. "He seems to be some important personality, am I wrong?"

"Indeed he is..." the captain answered, sounding somewhat cross. "He's Adenauer Paraya, an ambassador for the New Earth Federation. To be fair, I don't like him that much... he's self-centered and would do anything to get a good deal for himself. Still, he's a high-ranking Federation executive, and protocol must be respected. By the way, I have to thank the both of you for your intervention. We would have been in trouble had you not intervened when you did. And I have to say, Amuro, the Nu Gundam looks pretty impressive."

"Indeed, it's quite a powerful machine..." Amuro commented with a slight nod. "Though, something did bug us about the recent attack..."

Bright was quick to catch on. "It did seem to me that the Neo Zeon and ZAFT forces withdrew a little too quickly. It was as if they were just trying to distract us from somewhere else, though I cannot imagine what their objective would be... we'll have to look into that." he said, before glancing at the Nu Gunam and Saviour Gundam. "I see that Lt. Yamato has been unable to come..."

"Unfortunately, yes..." Athrun answered with a sigh. "The Freedom Gundam is still under repair, and was not in any condition to join us. Kira said he'll get in contact with us later, and will join us as soon as possible, but for now, he will not be available."

"I see..." Bright answered. "Well, for now, the fact that the Nadesico B has rendezvous with us makes up for that. We'll take care of the more urgent matters first, such as reaching Londenion and resupplying."

Amuro and Athrun nodded, as the Ral Kairam and the Nadesico B continued their journey...

oooooooooo

The crew of the Nadesico B, for their part, had been quick to greet the passengers of the shuttle as they gathered in the hangars, and while Fiona had been a little disappointed that there wouldn't have been a battle (another chance to show the Excellence's capabilities and give more proof of its worth to Earth Federation qualified personnel...), she had been as zealous as her comrades in taking care of the newcomers, making sure they were safe and sound before the journey could continue.

"Well, at least this battle was over before we had to get involved..." Mitsuko said as she and her friends walked back to the main bridge. "I have to say, from what little I could gather, Terminal's new Nu Gundam is a pretty impressive machine! I'd really love to take a look at it!"

"You may just get your chance once we arrive in Londenion..." Lahge answered, pushing his glasses back. "Looks like some Federation bigwig has asked Captain Bright Noah to take him there... him and his spoiled daughter, to boot... and since our ships both had to stop there for refueling and resupplying... well, might as well do what he wants, right?"

"Sure..." Fiona answered, wrinkling her nose in disapproval. "Then again, I am quite shocked that such an important personality would consider a warship such as the Ral Kairam as his personal means of transport. But I guess that's the Feddies for ya."

"Adenauer Paraya. The current ambassador for the New Earth Federation." Ruri interjected, turning her captain's seat around when Fiona and her friends approached her. "48 years old, Blue Cosmos sympathizer and an all around impopular person. He's currently on a mission of extreme importance at Londenion, but all informations about it are classified."

"Oh, captain Hoshino..." Fiona answered, turning to the teenaged captain. She was surprised by how well Ruri could concentrate on her captain duty after what had happened with the Martian Successors and Akito revealing himself... "So... that's the gist of it, huh? I wonder what else does the Federation have to hide..."

Ruri turned back to her screens, just when a comm window opened, Bright's face appearing upon it. "Captain Hoshino... Ral Kairam here. We've finished docking the Mobile Suits, and we are ready to depart whenever you are. I trust the mission at the Amaterasu colonies went off without a hitch."

"The civilians have all been safely taken on board, Captain Bright." Ruri answered. "About the Amaterasu issue, we should be talking about the problem later, as there are quite a few complications behind it. Anyway, we heard about the Luna-5 drop... and we have to apologize for not having been able to support you in the operation. Maybe our intervention could have made a difference."

"Much appreciated, Captain Hoshino..." Bright tried to conceal his still-lingering disappointment over the failure of the stoppage operations, but it was still apparent that his crew's confidence had taken a major blow from that. "Do not concern yourself too much about that - you did not have the chance to lend a hand to us. Anyway, I trust that the new Mobile Suits we are about to receive from Terminal will be enough to counter the threat. The Nu Gundam has already been delivered to us, while the Infinite Justice and the Strike Freedom are about to be finished."

"That's good to know." Ruri concluded. "Very well then... from now on, until our arrival in Londenion, we'll keep communications silent. Over."

"Of course, Captain Hoshino. Over as well."

The communication ended then, and the Nadesico B's bridge was once again wrapped in silence... at least before Ruri began giving the new coordinates for the remainder of the journey. "Then, our course is clear for now. Hari, set the route for Londenion. We'll be following the Ral Karam. All station, remain in yellow alert status. More enemy attacks are possible before the ship arrives in Londenion."

"Yes, Captain..." Hari answered, somewhat dejectedly.

Fiona spared a glance at the Nadesico B's second-in-command, and felt a small pang of sorrow for him. It was plain, to him at least, that Hari had a crush on Ruri, but the silver-haired captain either didn't notice or didn't give the matter the attention she thought it deserved... either way, Hari was feeling left out, which wasn't good in her book...

oooooooooo

"I see..." Durandal commented, as Rey finished his report. "Therefore, Neo Zeon's diversive action was a complete success."

The blond ace pilot nodded silently, standing in front of his adoptive father's desk. "Indeed it was. While the unit commanded by Rezun Schneider and Heine Westenfuss drew Terminal's attention on themselves, Colonel Char Aznable's personal shuttle managed to slip by undetected and reach Londenion." he reported.

Durandal nodded. "I see... a well played move, I have to say. Terminal probably already knows that they have been deceived, but they still have no idea what Colonel Aznable's intentions are. Though, I suppose I have a hunch about that..." he thought aloud. "Very well then... this means that, as soon as Heine's unit is back, we have to start preparing ourselves for the culmination of Char's plan."

"Understood." Rey serenely answered. "So, we will run interference with the final part of his plans, after all."

The ZAFT chairman sighed. "It was inevitable, after all. While Colonel Aznable is undoubtedly an impressive individual, and I have nothing but respect for him, in the end his vision for the future was simply too different from ours for our alliance to last much longer." he commented with genuine regret. "Then again, it was plain that his willingness to settle his personal score with Amuro Ray was an integral part of his motivations from the very beginning, and that he was putting too much faith in mankind's eventual awakening as Newtypes."

"That too was little more than hopeful thinking..." Rey answered. "The past examples of people like Paptimus Scirocco or Hamaan Kahn should have taught us that even Newtypes can be led astray, and their abilily to empathize with the feelings of other people does not necessarily entail the capacity to do so."

"Indeed, that's an unfortunate truth." was Durandal's answer. "Newtypes, too, are victims of the times we live in..."

The raven-haired chairman had a moment of wistful silence, as he mused about the almost unsettling resemblances with the case of his best friend, and how he too had been a victim of his own times and of mankind's greed and hubris. However, he quickly shook himself out of it as the door to his office opened, and both Shinn Asuka and Lunamaria Hawke entered the room, standing upright as they saluted the chairman.

"Pilots Shinn Asuka and Lunamaria Hawke reporting in for duty, sir." Luna began. "We were... summoned here, sir."

"At ease, pilots." Durandal addressed the both of them. "Indeed, I have been wanting to talk to you since the end of the Luna-5 operation. Our alliance with Neo Zeon, I fear, is approaching its end, and when it does, your strength will be needed more than ever. That goes especially for you, Shinn... ever since you received the Destiny Gundam, you have proven your skills and your worth over and over, even defeating the Freedom in single combat. Therefore, I trust you and Rey both to have the necessary skills for this important mission."

"Thank you for your praise, Mr. Chairman... we are only trying to do our duty!" Shinn answered seriously. "Anyway, what is the problem? Why do you say that our alliance with Neo Zeon is coming to an end?". Lunamaria, standing near Shinn, could easily see that her comrade was not exactly disappointed about that, and in fact, looked somewhat pleased. It was no secret, to her at least, how much Shinn distrusted Char...

"I'll put it in simple terms... our vision of the future are simply too different, and this is slowly but surely driving a wedge between Neo Zeon and ZAFT." Durandal explained. "As we speak, Colonel Char Aznable is heading to Londenion on his own accord, exactly where some important New Earth Federation personalities will be gathered in a few days' time. Can you see what I'm trying to say?"

Lunamaria looked quite surprised, and even somewhat angry. "Mr. Chairman... you mean to say that Colonel Aznable will take part in the gathering as well? For what reason?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"I do not have the answer to this question, but I can take a few sensible guesses." Durandal responded. "After all, Neo Zeon's stated goal is to force the population of Earth into exodus in space, to awaken the latent Newtype potential in all humans and put an end to the discriminations of Earthnoids versus Spacenoids. And with the drop of Luna-5 on Earth, which totalled Lahsa and sent a huge cloud of dust and debris in the atmosphere, Neo Zeon has expended the largest asteroid in their possession. They simply don't have any more asteroids whose drop would do the trick. All the largest asteroids, as of now, are property of the New Earth Federation."

Shinn frowned in thought... and then spoke, surprise evident in his voice. "Mr. Chairman... you're saying that Char is trying to buy an asteroid off the New Earth Federation and drop that on Earth to cause nuclear winter... and force everyone in outer space?"

"That would make perfect sense, when you think about it." was Rey's turn to answer. "Neo Zeon's coffers are well off enough that buying even a large asteroid would not deplete them completely, and the New Earth Federation is too complacent to really look at where the money comes from. It is Gil's hypotesis that Char will try to buy the largest possible asteroid from them, and use that to make the Earth uninhabitable in one fell swoop."

"I can't believe it... if he really does that, humanity will definitely be forced to migrate in space... but not without an unimaginable number of casualties!" Lunamaria said in horror.

"Damn it..." Shinn murmured. "We cannot allow him to do that! If such a thing happens..."

New images of his family... of Stellar... of all those he had lost... flashed before Shinn's eyes, and the young ZAFT ace had to grit his teeth and clench his fists to hold his anger and grief at bay.

"I am well aware of that. Sacrificing the Earth will not do anything to revolutionize mankind as Colonel Aznable theorizes." Durandal continued. "Therefore, we need to be ready to counter his plan at the right moment. It is for this very reason that we need to start making preparations now. I suspect that Char himself is aware that our collaboration cannot last, and will be taking counter-measures against us, but he does not necessarily know how we are planning to disrupt his project."

The three ZAFT aces all nodded, understanding that the future of ZAFT and of all humanity was riding on their success, and listened to Durandal as he began explaining his idea...

oooooooooo

"So, this is what it boils down to..." Shinn muttered, more to himself than anyone else, as he and Lunamaria were walking down the corridor, after the sudden reunion in the Chairman's office. "Other than Terminal, we'll also have to deal with Neo Zeon, the moment Char will turn his back to us..."

"Well, let's be honest here, Shinn. You and I both saw that coming." Lunamaria told him, with a shrug of her shoulders. "I mean, we both knew that Char would eventually pursue his own agenda... and that agenda entails something that we can't allow to happen."

Shinn sighed wearily. That much was true, he had to admit - he was never good at hiding his emotions, and he was not surprised that Lunamaria had discerned his opinions about the Neo Zeon leader. Lunamaria herself was no fool, and had suspected that Char was going to play his own game pretty soon...

"True... it's just that... well, I never thought he would go as far as to try and freeze the whole Earth!" Shinn answered, his disgust evident with every word. He had joined ZAFT with the intention of not allowing the tragedy that befell his family to repeat itself... and now, their ally in the war against Terminal was hatching a plan that would result in mass death. The thought was appalling to him...

"In any case, the Chairman is already taking the necessary countermeasures..." Shinn finally said, after a long and tense moment of silence. "We just have to follow through with them... and we'll hopefully take down both Char and Terminal in one fell swoop." He paused, and looked at Lunamaria with a somewhat softer expression on a face usually tainted with anger. "And I'll make sure Meyrin sees reason and returns to our side. I promise you that, Luna, you won't lose your family to this war!"

Lunamaria's face brightened, and her expression opened up in a beautiful smile. "Thanks, Shinn! I... I really appreciate it!" she thanked, before the two continued on their way, some tension finally cast off their shoulders...

oooooooooo

Meanwhile, in a whole other place in the Solar System, a shady group of individual was busy scrutinizing a seemingly-incomprehensible jumble of graphs and lines appearing on their computers... computers which were all hooked to the Black Box of Boson Jumping and, by extension, to the woman who had been pretty much sealed alive inside of it. The attitude of most of them could well be described as cold, clinical detachment, as if they weren't even speaking about a human being...

"So, what's going on here?" Haruki Kusakabe asked, glaring in disappointment at the graphics. The plan was not going as smoothly as he had anticipated, all thanks to that accursed Yurika Misumaru struggling with all of her willpower against whatever the Martian Successors were trying to force her to do...

One of the scientists sighed and shook his head. "It's no good, Leader Kusakabe." he said in a raspy voice. "Communication efficiency is diminishing. The subject is resisting all of our external stimulations."

"Get me a visual." Kusakabe ordered. Wordlessly, the scientist opened a sub-screen which consisted of nothing more than a blank yellow field upon which an all-caps word, 'AKITO', was endlessly floating. Kusakabe and his closest loyalists, understanding what that meant, furrowed their brows in displeasure. "Hmph... just as I expected... she's always thinking of her love interest, and this disrupts the Boson Jumping equation... defiant to the very last, that much I have to praise her for."

"Pleasing a princess has always been difficult." Yamasaki cheerfully commented. "We are looking into this at the moment, and we expect to come up with pleasing results in due time. For now, we have determined that her own willpower and her dreams are acting as noise for our interfaces, barring us from performing an effective Boson Jump. We just have to insert some subtle suggestions, in order to... convince her, so to speak... to be more cooperative."

"Knowing is half the battle, huh, professor Yamasaki?" Aritomo Shinjo, Kusakabe's right-hand-man, commented, glaring at the screens. "Whatever. What we need is simply for her not to resist our orders, and transport our troops where we need them. Force her to do so by any means necessary."

Despite Aritomo's harsh words, Yamasaki was not perturbed in the least, and he crisply saluted his commanding officers, never once losing his cheerful smile. "Will do, Vice-Commander Shinjo. Rest assured that before long, she will be as nice as a little lamb!"

"Good. Make sure you put your money where your mouth is." Kusakabe sternly warned. "Do not forget, ours is a fight for justice. We are doing all of this to flush out corruption from within the Solar System, and to reinstate true righteousness. The New Earth Federation, Terminal, Neo Zeon, ZAFT... they are all decadent and immoral. Only us, the Martian Successors, are the heralds of true justice."

"We know, Leader Kusakabe." Aritomo answered, saluting as well. "This knowledge will drive us to conquering all our enemies, and to avenge all the wrongs we have suffered throughout the years."

Kusakabe smiled thinly, a cruel joy in his eyes as he turned back to the graphs. "That is good. Neither Char nor Durandal will usher humanity in a new era. It will be us, the Martian Successors."

oooooooooo

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Author's Note: I apologize for the rather long time it took me to update this story, but real life can be a harsh mistress, and I also felt compelled to write other stories in the meantime (which will be published on this site at a later date). Anyway, I hope this chapter was enjoyable enough... we have seen the Nu Gundam in action, and it seems to be an impressive Mobile Suit for now. Time will tell if it, along with the Strike Freedom and the Infinite Justice, will eventually make a difference in the upcoming battle.**

**As you can see, I kept Heine alive for this story - or, at least, for this part of the story, overriding his canon death. I can't offer any more justification for this other than... well... I like Heine! **

**As we get to know them more and more, the Martian Successors reveal themselves as the monsters they truly are. And you think they're bad now, believe me... you have seen nothing yet! **

**Well... I really have nothing more to say! I hope you liked this new chapter, and I assure you I will be back soon with another chapter for Super Robot Taisen S Zero! See you later!**

**Lily**


	9. Arriving in Londenion

**SUPER ROBOT WARS S**

**Hello, everyone! As you can see, I'm back with my new chapter for this story, and I hope I haven't made you wait too long! This episode will deal with some of the happenings in Char's Counterattack, so I'm afraid the Nadesico crew won't get too much exposure until later on... but believe me when I say they will get their moment of glory soon! In the meantime, I trust this chapter will be good enough to keep my fans happy for when the meat of the story comes! **

**So... really, I don't have much to say! Just enjoy this chapter, and let me know how much you like it!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 9 - Arriving in Londenion**

Amuro Ray felt like he was floating.

It was like he was detached from his own body, and was just like he was being softly blown by a soft wind.. The view was a warm blue all over, with stars glistening in the distance and giving out a soft glow, which normally would have aided putting a mind at ease and helping one relax... but for the Newtype ace, it was not to be. He was alarmed, and was trying to keep alert for anything that might have happened...

"This place... I know this place..." he murmured to himself, as his eyes caught a gossamer white swan flying away from him and to the far horizon, beforedisappearing in a flash of white. A gentle laughter echoed all around... and Amuro snapped out of his reverie, looking at the place where the swan had disappeared to...

"Lalah!" he exclaimed. "Is... is that you... Lalah Sune?"

The gentle, almost ethereal laugh echoed once again, as an almost angelic figure slowly appeared out of thin air in front of Amuro... a dark-skinned, black-haired teenage girl wearing a diaphanous golden dress, with a seraphic expression on her face and deep, sad green eyes which seemed to penetrate in Amuro's soul, floating in front of him as if she weighed nothing at all. She smiled melanchonically at him, as if she was trying to reach to him, but Amuro stepped back slightly, trying to get away from her.

"You... you are dead! You died long ago!" Amuro told the ethereal figure, remembering all too well the final days of the One Year War, when the death of the girl had driven a permanent wedge between him and Char, and had left a permanent scar on his soul. "You shouldn't interfere in what concerns us, living here in the real world!"

Lalah, or her ghost, whatever that was, smiled sadly at him. "_You have no idea how painful it is to have a conscience that keeps living eternally..._" she said softly. "_I just want to keep watching you... to remain between you two forever..._"

"Don't be selfish!" Amuro replied, trying to remain floating in place. "You want to remain between me and Char? Don't put me on the same level as him... I'm nothing like him!"

Lalah's smile seemed to liven up a little.

"_He's pure... just like you..._"

oooooooooo

"He's... pure?"

Amuro woke up with a start, grabbing his covers with his right hand and sitting up on his bed as his eyes snapped open. His breath was ragged, and he was sweating coldly all over, trying to fill his lungs with air. His widened eyes were scanning his darkened quarters all over, as if looking for the ethereal apparition that had shocked him in his dream... and finally, as his breath returned to normal, he groaned and wiped his forehead with one hand.

"Damn... just like years ago... that dream once again!" he murmured, looking at a small watch beside his bed. He had tried to get some sleep, after all the time he had been forced to stay awake, but it seemed that it could not be...

Despite well knowing that he wouldn't have been able to go to sleep again, the young Terminal captain tried to lay down on his bed once again... when a small comm screen in his room suddenly lit up, giving out a faint glow that still managed to clearly illuminate the room. Knowing that it was a call from the main bridge, Amuro stood up again and sighed, waiting for the images to stabilize.

"_Captain Amuro..._" Chan said, her face, framed by her blue hair, appearing on the screen. "_I apologize for the early call._"

"Think nothing of it..." Amuro answered curtly. "What's the problem?"

Chan hesitated for a moment, hearing Amuro's strangely coarse voice. "_If it is possible, could you come to the Mobile Suit launching bay, please? We seem to have some problems there._"

The young captain stood up from his bed to get dressed. "Alright. I'll be there in ten minutes." was his answer, probably more harsh than he intended it to be. Chan remained at a loss for words once again, and interrupted the call after murmuring a word of acknowledgement...

oooooooooo

"What was up with Captain Amuro?" she asked herself, before leaning against the wall of the corridor she had made the call from. "He sounded so mad..."

With a sigh, the young warrant officer closed her eyes and tried to think nothing of it... only snapping out of it when Amuro's voice, now with a much calmer tone, woke her up from her funk, and not just from that!

"Hey, Chan..." he called her, and Chan opened her eyes... and quickly snapped them open, realizing that somehow, she had managed to fall asleep while leaning on the corridor's wall! She quickly straightened herself with an embarassed look, and turned sheepishly to Amuro, now garbed in his official Terminal uniform, who just smiled kindly to her and extended a hand to her. "Falling asleep in such a place kind of defeats the purpouse of quarters, don't you think so?"

"Er... right! Silly me..." she murmured, trying to sound professional. She, too, hadn't gotten many chances to sleep in those days, and it was beginning to show.

Amuro nodded sagely, understanding the problem, and motioned for Chan to lead him to the Mobile suit landing bay, to see what exactly the problem was...

oooooooooo

With a sideways dash, the Mobile Suit dodged the rain of lasers bearing down upon it and returned fire, destroying one of the opposing ZAKU Warrior units... but the pilot had not noticed another unit sneaking up from behind a large piece of debris, and was unable to dodge when the Geara Doga unleashed a volley with its machine gun, striking the Mobile Suit dead center...

...and the main screen went blank with a sudden beeping sound, showing the ever-hated words: GAME OVER

"I lost..." Quess Paraya, sitting at the simulator's controls, murmured with a dejected sigh. She and Hathaway, who was waiting for his turn just outside of the cabin, had wanted to try out the combat simulator, under the supervision of Astonage, the Ral Kairam's chief mechanic... but her performance, in her opinion, was not what she'd call a stellar one.

The thin, somewhat unkempt Astonage did not seem to agree with Quess' assessment, and was instead quite impressed. "Well, kid, you shouldn't be disappointed. You managed to destroy two Mobile Suits in your first test run, that's not something you see every day." he said, nodding at the now-blank screen.

This seemed to do little to assuage the pig-tailed girl. "If you say so, Mr. Astonage... the fact is, this controller is too big for my hand, and I can't handle it very well." she said, showing Astonage the controls. In fact, Quess' hand was too small to fit the control device.

"That's only natural." the Ral Kairam's chief mechanic answered. "Those controls are made to be used when you're wearing a spacesuit. When you wear one, it's much easier to control a Mobile Suit."

The simulator's hatch opened with a slight click, and Hathaway Noah peeked inside the cabin. Since it was the boy's turn to use the simulator, Quess unfastened her seat belt and floated away from the seat, leaving the place to Hathaway. "Oh, well... still, it's quite amazing! This simulator can create a faithful reproduction of the recorded battles! I never thought such things could exist!" Quess exclaimed, as she began floating away from the cabin.

"That's a military secret, Quess, you shouldn't tell anyone about that!" Hathaway good-naturedly told her as the girl began floating down to the lower platforms. She caught a glimpse of her father and Captain Bright Noah on one of the higher ledges and hears her father call out to her, but she didn't stop to acknowledge it. Especially when seeing that Adenauer seemed quite annoyed with her having trained in a simulator...

"Well, who would have thought?" Bright said, taking a look at the simulation results appearing on a screen near the two men. "Mr. Paraya, judging from these results, your daughter seems to be a natural at piloting Mobile Suits. No pun intended, of course."

Adenauer sighed, trying to make it look like he was actually worried about Quess. "I never thought she would be interested in such things, Captain Noah..." he stated. "I surely wouldn't want her to do something that dangerous..."

Quess was not too far to hear that, and was quite annoyed with it. "Oh, good heavens..." she muttered to herself as she gently landed on a lower platform. "Now that there are people around, he suddenly acts as if he's such a kind father..."

"Excuse me, miss Paraya..."

Quess turned to the voice that had called her, and saw Amuro and Chan, both already wearing a normal suit, getting near her. "You are kindly requested not to get beyond this point, since you are a civilian." Amuro said, pointing to a yellow line painted on the floor of the platform. Quess regarded the young Terminal ace with an apologetic look at first... but immediately after, a weird sensation triggered in her mind, making her feel as if she had just received a slight static shock, and she widened her eyes a little. The man standing in front of her was...

"Oh, I apologize..." she started saying. "But... you don't happen to be..."

"Captain Amuro, we were just waiting for you." a younger voice said. The three turned to their side, just in time to see Athrun, similarly garbed in a normal suit, floating up to them from a Mobile Suit deck. Unbeknowst to him, he had just answered to the question Quess was about to ask..."We apologize for the disturbance, Captain Amuro, but there seems to be something wrong with the Nu Gundam's verniers."

"Alright, we'll get working on it right now..." Chan answered, as she and aMuro floated down from the platform and joined Athrun on the deck, where both the Nu Gundam and the Saviour Gundam were lying on their backs, waiting to be examined. Quess kept her glance on the young Terminal captain, as if entranced by his mere presence... she had heard many times of Amuro Ray's exploits, especially when she was training in India before her father forced her to go to space with him... but meeting him in person was a whole other can of worms altogether.

"So, that's the famed Amuro Ray..." she whispered to herself... before her eyes turned to the blue-haired Chinese woman accompanying him, and her face turned into a comical scowl, complete with popping-up blood vessel on her forehead! "Huh, and who's that woman, anyway? How come she's speaking with him so confidentially?"

Her silent rants were interrupted when Hathaway floated out of the simulator's cabin and called out to her. "Hey, Quess! I managed to take down two Mobile Suits as well!"

"Oh... sorry, Hathaway, I was spacing out..." she apologized to him, as she began following him. "Anyway... that's good, this means we're even now..."

oooooooooo

On board the Nadesico B, the situation was equally quiet. The Phase-Shift Engine powered battleship was standing close to the Ral Kairam, guarding it closely against any enemy attack - not that Neo Zeon, ZAFT or the Martian Successors were really expected to attack again, but better safe than sorry, at least until the civilians were safe in Londenion. So, that left the pilots with a lot of free time, which Fiona had wisely decided to spend in a training session on her Excellence, reviewing a part of the battle she had taken part in at Amaterasu.

"Right then..." she murmured, getting a good look at the data on the seven machines defending the Ruins of Mars that held Yurika Misumaru nightmarishly captive inside. Six of them, the smaller, beige-colored and legless ones, had been identified as Shishiki, while the red leader wielding that weird shaman staff was called Yatenkou... and judging from the gathered data, theirspeed was such that not even the CosmoDriver Frame, the fastest frame she could equip at the moment, was going to be able to keep up with them. A new strategy was in order, if Fiona was to be able to fight those guys again, or she'd just get trashed in no time...

"Let's see... these Shishiki things are much faster than my Excellence can muster. An all-out attack would just get me killed, so I'd say I need a more defensive strategy next time." she told herself. "Furthermore, the leader seems to be able to Boson Jump, which means that distance has no meaning in a fight against him... he can get up close and personal or get away from his opponent in an idle whim. Boy, will I have my hands full with these guys... and that's not considering that they probably won't hesitate to outnumber me, which will me them more difficult to fight against..."

"Fiona! Do you hear me?" Lahge asked, his comm screen popping up on the redhead's screen. She nodded, giving a thumbs-up sign to the comm screen.

"Loud and clear, Lahge!" the girl answered. "So, what's the situation right now?"

"We have the data for the enemy fighters you faced during the battle at Amaterasu." Lahge answered, looking through a bunch of papers. "The simulations I put the data through speak clearly. By itself, the Excellence C and S are hardly a match for them, considering their evasive abilities and the fact that all of them are equipped with a Distortion Field makes things more complicated. We are coming up with a solution that should allow the Excellence to punch through their protections, but to actually nail the Shishikis or the Yatenkou... well, that will be up to you. I have no easy answer for their speed or the Boson Jumping abilities of their leader."

"Well, I can't expect you to solve all my problems, right?" Fiona joked, chuckling a little to keep the atmosphere from becoming too dreary. Mitsuko, right beside Lahge, seemed to appreciate the joke and giggled a little herself, but Lahge did not seem to be so easily amused, and kept a straight face.

"Anyway..." Lahge said, clearing his throat. "Your simulator now has all the necessary data for the Shishikis, while the Yatenkou... well, that one will probably require more work to be successfully implemented in the computer. Can you make do with what you've got now?"

"I'm positive!" Fiona answered. "Actually, I think I'm already working out a possible strategy against those guys... their speed and their Distortion Field are their main strong points, right? Therefore, if I were to attack first, I'd get pummeled... however, if I can get a hit in while they are attacking me, and if I can somehow neutralize their Distortion Field, then I can take those guys out. Distortion Field aside, these Shishiki things seem quite fragile, and they probably won't be able to stand a direct hit. So, let's see how I should go about it..."

Fiona immediately set out to elaborate a strategy against the Martian Successors' Shishiki, earning herself an admired glance from both Lahge and Mitsuko, who were impressed with their friend's tenacity and willingness to work out a strategy.

"It has to be said, Fiona is taking this training very seriously." Mitsuko commented. "After all, she has to, if she wants to stand a chance against our new enemies... Really, sometimes it still seems impossible to me how we ended up in such a mess..."

Lahge sighed, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "It mistifies me as well..." he answered. "But what I'm really worried about is that strange disembodied voice we heard before the laboratories were attacked... it was obviously interested in the Excellence, that much we can be sure about, and I think we can be sure that its real objective is the Time Shift Engine. I can't think of any other reason why it would attack us, really... The Excellence doesn't have much else in the way of technologies that make it stand out from the average combat robot."

Mitsuko nodded. "I know... and I'm asking myself how we're supposed to fight against that, when it will decide to reveal itself. I'm afraid we might be in over our heads..."

"Let's not worry about that for now, there are more pressing matters." Lahge admonished her. "Elaborating a strategy against this mysterious enemy will avail nothing if we can't do a thing against the Martian Successors' elite squad."

"You're right. Sorry for bringing that up..." Mitsuko told him, waving a hand in front of herself as if to say that it was no big deal. She turned her attention once again to Fiona, and to the way she was trying to study the recovered data about the Shishiki units, elaborating a strategy on how to deal with them...

"I just hope Fiona is up to the task of dealing with those freaks..." Mitsuko murmured in cautious hope. "If she and the Nadesico pilots cannot keep up with them, our future will be short-lived indeed..."

oooooooooo

"So, Quess, what did you think of him, now that you've met him in person?" Hathaway asked his female shuttle companion, as the two sat on a bench in one of the Ral Kairam's many corridors. The girl seemed to think about the question a little, her first close encounter with Amuro, only a few hours earlier, had not allowed her to form an informed opinion about him.

"Well... I'm not really sure what to think, to tell you the truth..." Quess answered, pushing a strand of bright turquoise hair away from her eyes. "Actually, he seems like an ordinary person to me. And... even Athrun Zala, aside from his more serious demeanor, doesn't seem very different from any guy his age..."

"And yet, Captain Ray was the Federation ace during the One Year War." Hathaway answered. "You know, I heard that during his first time piloting the Gundam, he was able to take down three of the Principality of Zeon's Zakus. Just think, he figured out all of the RX-78 Gundam's controls within a few minutes in the cockpit!"

Quess smiled slightly. "People like him are called Newtypes, right?" she asked, already knowing the answer, as she and Hathaway slowly sat up from the bench. "Those who can sense the true essence of things or people... and they can do so even when they're a good distance away from them!"

Hathaway's expression turned more serious. "Well, yes, that's right... but how do you know such things?" he asked.

"Before my father and my stepmother forced me to board that shuttle with them... or rather, just with my father, since my stepmother bailed out just the day before..." Quess answered, her voice turning bitter at the mention of her 'parents', "I have been training in India, to get a better understanding of what the term means... and there, I've been taught that, while they live on Earth, human beings only use a part of their brain's abilities, but once they go out to space, some of them begin using other abilities, unknown to most. Some of them even goas far as to develop telepathic abilities and some limited form of prescience."

"I see..." Hathaway answered. "Could it be because otherwise, living in a colony far away from Earth, it would be impossible to develop a sense of community or family..."

Quess nodded slowly. "By the way, Hathaway... do you parents understand each other well?" she asked, somewhat out of the blue.

The boy laughed briefly, placing a hand behind his head. "Well, mostly yes... though my Dad is always a little grumpy! Hehehee..."

Smiling sadly, the young girl rubbed her forehead. "I kind of envy you, you know? My parents, on the other hand, do nothing to understand me, even if we live together on Earth..." she said, before staring at the hollow space just outside the Ral Kairam's windows. Hathaway's smile faded as well, Quess' plight getting through to him. He couldn't say he could understand what she was going through, but he knew it must feel horrible to be neglected by one's own family.

However, in all this, a thought was beginning to form in Quess' mind: she would try to get to know Amuro as much as possible, so as to understand what a real Newtype was like... and that annoying woman he was with earlier would not stand in her way, that much was a given!

oooooooooo

In the vicinities of Hisago Plan Colony Sakuya, in the meantime, a bloody battle was taking place. An armada of New Earth Federation battleships and mobile weapons had stumbled upon a Martian Successors base, and had immediately attacked, trying to stamp out that cell before it could do any more damage. The memory of what had happened at Amaterasu was still fresh, and many New Federation officers were itching for the chance to inflict some damage in return to the Martian Successors, which the advance fleet seemed to be doing with ease and relish. Martian Successor battleships and unmanned weapons were blowing up one after the other, succumbing to the firepower of Agamemnon-class battle cruisers and whole swarms of Sternkugels, Windams, GM-3s and many other units of the New Federation army. It looked like things were firmly in control, and the officers supervising the battle surely thought they had this one in the bag...

"Our units are closing on their perimeter!" an officer shouted triumphantly, looking at an electronic map where the blips signaling the Martian Successors' units were disappearing one by one under the relentless assault. "They're trying to regroup, but our boys are cutting out all their escape routes!"

"I see..." another officer, more restrained but still enthusiastic, answered. "The Martian Successors have lost all of their Majin units, so I guess they're backed up against the wall now... their forces are now down 50%, while our losses amount to little more than 3%. I have no doubt, this cell will do no more damage."

"Excellent... so, they got the jump on us only because we were caught off guard!" the other officer commented. "In the end, when faced with our superior organization and weaponry, they had no choice but to surrender."

All of a sudden, a violent explosion rocked the battle cruiser, and the two were forced to cling tightly to the nearest solid object, in order to avoid being thrown to the ground by the shaking. With a surprised yelp, the older-looking one glanced around himself in sudden panic, as red alarm lights began lighting up all around and the crew started screaming in surprise. "WHAT? What's this... what the Hell is going on here?"

"Commander! It may seem incredible to you, but... Martian Successor units have Boson Jumped right behind us! They're much more numerous and better armed than the ones we've been facing!" a comm operator shouted in near panic. "We... we're being surrounded! Our rear guard is being wiped away!"

"SAY WHAT?" the younger officer shouted, looking at his screen once again... and blanching in horror as numerous enemy units simply warped into existance behind the New Federation fleet and at its sides, effectively trapping the Earth soldiers in a pincer formation! The Martian Successor units wasted no time in laying havoc on the surprised New Federation fleet, and an entire army of Maduras, beige robots with a slightly elongated head and cannons mounted on their chests, swept down on the hapless Earth soldiers.

To say that it was a massacre for the Earth forces would have been a gross understatement. The Martian Successors began ruthlessly and methodically wiping out their enemies, blasting Mobile Suits and battleships apart before they even had a chance to fire... and when lifeboats began being expelled from the battleships, the Martian Successors destroyed those as well. In an horrifyingly short time, the tide of the battle had completely changed, and the seemingly-victorious New Federation forces were destroyed.

There were no survivors among the crew of 17 Agamemnon-class battleships.

"And that's... a victory for us all!" Professor Yamasaki cheerfully commented, doing a victory sign with his fingers as news of the victory reached the Martian Successors' HQ. In front of him, sitting at their respective places in the Martian Successors' council room, were Kusakabe and Shinjo, who looked equally pleased with the results of the battle. For the first time, their forces had been able to execute a flawless mass Boson Jump, and implement a tactic against which the Earth force had no possible defence.

"I dare say, professor Yamasaki, this was a roaring success." the Martian Successors' leader commented, smiling cruelly in satisfaction. "Do we have to attribute this victory to our new means of communicating with our... princess?"

Understanding that his leader was talking about Yurika Misumaru, Yamasaki nodded, still smiling that childish, cheerful smile that only seemed to make him more creepy. "Of course, leader Kusakabe! Our communication affectiveness, thanks to modifications I've introduced in the interface, has reached an impressive 98 per cent! To speak more simply, at this level we can pretty much execute a Boson Jump anywhere in the Solar System with sufficient accuracy and excellent timing, and catch all of our enemies unaware. Our soldiers will execute the jump in complete safety and knowing perfectly well where they will end up."

Shinjo nodded. "Yes, we've all seen the results of your research." he answered. "And... if we might satisfy our curiosity, professor Yamasaki, may we please ask what enabled you to boost our Boson Jumping effectiveness so drastically?"

Yamasaki nodded and, much to the two leader's surprise, held up an issue of what looked like a shoujo manga, its cover showing the title 'Ururun' in bold hiragana. "Well, I know it might seem strange, but... we all owe our success to this manga! Isn't it incredible, gentemen?"

Kusakabe frowned. "Might I ask what a shoujo manga has to do with the effectiveness of the Boson Jumping, professor?" he asked, his voice sounding more harsh all of a sudden. not even that could rattle the unflappable Yamasaki, though, who just put the girls' magazine away and answered straight away.

"It has everything to do in fact, leader Kusakabe!" he answered, a little too joyfully for confort. "As we already know, the problem with our previous attempts at forcing a Boson Jump were Yurika Misumaru's dreams and independent thoughts, which acted as noise against our communications. By trasmitting to Yurika Misumaru's subconscious romantic images from this manga, we are effectively able to not just override her dreams, but to also twist them in order to make her believe that she's with her lover Akito Misumaru in a romantic trip... in the place where we want our forces to go. In other words, this is a triumph of technology on the unpredictable variant that are human feelings. By allowing that variable to adapt to our own formulas and effectively forcing it to conform to our rules, we have achieved complete control over our princess' mind." There was something absolutely terrifying in the way Yamasaki spoke of such horrible experiments against nature as if they were an everyday occasion... but then again, the Martian Successors' leaders were not exactly what one would call sane individuals, and in fact, Kusakabe di nothing but chuckle in grim satisfaction after hearing the explanation.

"And so, our communication effectiveness reaches 98 per cent..." he murmured. "Very good... then, our next move is clear. We'll reorganize our troops and launch an attack against the main New Earth Federation strongholds as soon as we're able to. Before long, the whole Solar System will be in the grip of true justice, and everlasting peace will finally come to this wretched humanity."

oooooooooo

"I want to get to know Amuro Ray more personally... I need to know how a Newtype really is..." Quess murmured to herself as she gracefully floated in zero-g in the corridor leading to the Ral Kairam's Mobile Suit hangar. It had admittedly been difficult to sneak by unnoticed in a section of the ship forbidden to civilians, but patience and stealth eventually paid off, and Quess had managed to almost reach her objective. Now, the tricky part was finding Amuro without being seen by the working personnel or the other pilots, who were surely around...

Quess emerged from the corridor and looked around herself, seeing no one around for the moment. That was good, but it wouldn't last long. She needed to find an hiding place before...

"Huh? Miss Paraya, what are you doing here?" a female voice startled her. In a moment of surprise, the young girl turned to the side... and groaned to herself when she saw Chan walking towards her. Exactly the person she didn't want to see...

"I'm sorry, Miss Paraya, but civilians are not allowed in this area... so, you are kindly requested to return to the civilian wing of the ship." Chan admonished her, thinking that was to be the end of the story. Quess stammered in embarassment at having been found out for a second, but that soon turned into annoyance, and she decided to turn Chan's words back against her.

"Er..." Quess murmured before frowning angrily. "Well, if that is the case, what are you doing here in the first place?"

Chan was taken aback by such a direct question - made all the more surprising by the fact that Chan did not expect the turquoise-haired teenager to be that assertive. "Huh? What am I...? Well, I'm a technician in this ship, and... I have to work on the Mobile Suits, after all."

Quess did not seem satisfied with that. "How typical of you adults, avoiding the matter altogether!" she answered bitterly. "I wanted to know what's the relationship between you and Captain Amuro!"

Chan was even more puzzled by that. What was the meaning of that? "My relationship with... Well, he's a superior of mine, and I have a lot of respect for him, why do you ask?"

"I didn't mean that, for crying out loud!" Quess shouted, feeling the sudden urge to smack her hand to her face. Was that woman really that daft, or was she pulling her leg? "I have been training in India to become a Newtype, and that's why I'm interested in getting to know Captain Amuro! But you're trying to keep me from meeting him!"

"I'm keeping you from...?" Chan murmured in surprise, a sweatdrop appearing on the back of her head as Quess pointed her index finger to her.

"You're in my way! So get away from here now!" Quess shouted... to which Chan could do nothing but offer her a confused look and reply as diplomatically as possible.

"Er... I can't really do that, this is my working place, you know..." she answered. One second later, Hathaway came out of the corridor and called out to Quess, which only seemed to add to the young girl's annoyance.

"Hey, Quess, I've been looking for you for a while now..." Hathaway said, approaching the pigtailed girl. "What are you doing here...?"

Quess turned around in a fit of anger and simply dodged Hathaway, going back in the corridor she had emerged from. "Oh, forget it!" she shouted as she floated away. Hathaway stood there for a moment, surprised at his friend's behaviour, before murmuring an embarassed apology to Chan and following Quess back in the corridor, leaving the Chinese young woman to stand there, and wonder what the heck just went on...

Hathaway continued following Quess through the Ral Kairam's corridors, more than a few pairs of eyes turning to the teens as they floated through, in an attempt to calm her down. The young boy was quite puzzled by Quess' behaviour - she had seemed quite calm until a few moments ago, and now she was throwing a tantrum...

"Hey, Quess, what's the matter?" he called out to her again. "Why are you so mad now?"

"And stop following me, once and for all!" she shot back, as she passed by a window looking out to the hollow, cold space outside. Hathaway continued following... but a startling sight caused him to stop by the window. Quess herself seemed to forget her own anger and stopped to wonder what Hathaway was looking at. "Huh? And now what's the.."

"Quess, will you take a look at that! That's a PLANT!" he exclaimed, pointing outside the window. Her curiosity overcoming her annoyance, Quess floated to Hathaway's side and looked out of the window, widening her eyes in wonder as her gaze fell upon the magnificent hourglass-like structure housing thousands of people. The idea had always been fascinating to her... human beings finding a way to survive, grow and prosper in space. It had always been uplifting to her.

"Wow, this is awesome!" she exclaimed. "Inside that hourglass, the exact same conditions of the Earth have been reproduced... there are even cities, lakes and vegetation! When I look at such a wonder, I can really believe that humanity can evolve past its limits!"

"Yeah..." Hathaway agreed. "I can understand why, back in the day, the Zabi family decided to declare their colony's independence... and why others have done it in the following years..."

Quess nodded, before her demeanor turned more sober all of a sudden. "Instead, my father and those like him want to govern over the people living inthe colonies, without knowing anything about the reality of their lives... that, and there are still Blue Cosmos fanatics lurking around who would like nothing better that to kill all Coordinators." she commented.

"That's exactly why Char has decided to destroy Earth..." Hathaway commented. "Even if, a few years ago, he had fought for it alongside the members of the A.E.U.G. in the Gryps War against the Titans..."

Quess allowed herself a small, serene smile. "You know, I think I can understand why he wants to do that." she answered. "After all, those who live on Earth are stubborn, and they refuse to change. Char, on the other hand, wants humanity to be revolutionized, and wants it to evolve further."

The boy sighed, resting his head on the palm of his right hand. "You may be right about this, but... even so, I don't think that justifies him dropping asteroids and trying to plunge the Earth in nuclear winter." he commented, obviously conflicted on the matter.

Quess remained silent for a while, as if pondering on Hathaway's words. On one hand, she saw the awakening of humanity in Newtypes as a great achievement, but on the other, she knew that Char's plan would have caused a lot of deaths...

"I... dunno about that..." she finally answered, her eyes still affixed to the PLANT floating nearby.

oooooooooo

The Terminal base on the Moon was in a bit of a frenzy at the moment, with people running around and preparing things for an important event... Terminal's other flagships other than the Ral Kairam, the Eternal and the Archangel, had hailed the lunar base only a few hours before, announcing their imminent arrival... and with them were travelling some of Terminal's most important authority figures, such as Captain Murrue Ramius; Cagalli Yura Athha, Kira's twin sister, Athrun's girlfriend and the deposed Princess of Orb; ZAFT war veteran Andrew Waltfeld; and last, but certainly not least, Lacus Clyne, Terminal's leader and the daughter of the reknown politician Siegel Clyne, now forced in exile as a result of Char and Durandal's policies. Along with them, the arrival of several new weapons, first and foremost the new Gundams, was expected... and in any case, protocol called for a worthy greeting!

Kira himself was feeling quite anxious. It had been some time since he had last seen his girlfriend Lacus, his sister or Captain Ramius, and he was looking forward to that, while still managing to remain calm as he waited in the hangar, alongside a good deal of Terminal soldiers.

Finally, after what seemed to him like hours of waiting, the low, rumbling sounds of the two ships being pulled in the hangars began being heard, and both the Eternal and the Archangel slowly revealed themselves to Kira and the Terminal personnel's eyes. In a few minutes, both Lacus' pink flagship and Murrue's iconic Archangel turned their engines down and stopped completely, while sliding doors in the Eternal's side opened slowly to reveal Lacus Clyne herself, dressed in an elegant battle kimono, her long pink hair swaying slightly as she walked out of the battleship. Immediately, all the soldiers, Kira included, saluted as the rose-haired songstress slowly walked down the stairs leading to the hangar's floor; at the same time, a few more people came from behind her - Andrew Waltfeld, with his trademark scarred eye, and three people Kira couldn't readily recognize: an orange-haired woman with an eyepatch, and two rather non-descript men, one of whom was wearing glasses. They were wearing Terminal uniforms, and they seemed to have a rather important rank, but other than that, Kira couldn't say anything.

From the Archangel, on the other hand, came more familiar faces: the brown-haired Captain Ramius, soon joined by her boyfriend, Captain Mwu La Flaga (formerly known as Neo Roanoake, from the time he had been brainwashed into a Phantom Pain commander), and by Cagalli. Each of them received a proper welcome from the group of soldiers, as they descended on the deck, where Kira and Lacus were already exchanging a hug.

"I am glad to see you are alright, Kira..." Lacus said sweetly, as she reciprocated her boyfriend's embrace. "I heard of what happened recently with Luna-5, and I feared for your lives... I'm glad to know you're alright."

"Likewise..." Kira answered with a slight smile. "But... I'm afraid it won't be like that for long, unless we managed to bring down Char and Durandal, and foil Neo Zeon's plan to cause nuclear winter. Our Mobile Suits cannot keep up any more."

"Well, in that case..." Murrue said, approaching Kira together with Mwu and Cagalli. "I think you'll be glad to know that we have indeed managed to bring you the new Mobile Suits created by Terminal. They're only waiting to be tested, and their firepower and overall performance are much superior to anything we've ever seen before."

"And that's not all, kiddo!" Mwu continued, a knowing smile adorning his slightly scarred face. "We have also brought along a shiny new toy, the Akatsuki, piloted by yours truly... and a few customized Murasames and DOM Troopers, the latter of which have been assigned to the Black Tri-Stars... the lady and the gentlemen who are now accompanying Lady Lacus!"

"They've been selected among the finest of ZAFT's Green Coats, and their loyalty to Lacus has been proved time and again!" Cagalli wanted to add, gesturing to the three bodyguards, who immediately saluted.

"We are at your service, Lt. Yamato." the woman with the eyepatch said. "Corporals Hilda Harken, Mars Simeon and Herbert von Reinhardt. We will do our best to support you in this endeavor and to serve Lady Lacus."

Kira smiled and returned the military salute, as did Lacus and the others. "Your assistance will be much appreciated." he commented, before Waltfeld cleared his throat and drew attention on himself.

"As for what concerns me, we have managed to salvage the remains of the Gaia Gundam, the transforming Mobile Suit that was stolen from Armory One one year ago, and we have modified it a litle. I will be joining you in battle with this new Mobile Suit, and I trust I will be of some assistance to you."

"That's good to know, Commander Waltfeld!" Kira answered. "We will need all the help we can get for this, and we could certainly use the abilities of veterans like you or Mr. La Flaga."

Mwu chuckled ironically at that. "Hehehee... don't think flattery will get you anywhere, kiddo! But still, we will do our best to help you. After all, we don't want to see Earth turning into a huge icicle any more than you do, right?"

Everyone laughed a little at that, relieving some of the tension, before Lacus gently pointed to the Eternal's main entrance. "The new Mobile Suits are now in the Eternal's hangars. If you want to take a look at them, Kira, you are more than welcome to!"

"Sure, I'll be glad to examine them!" the young boy answered, following his girlfriend and his sister in the pink battleship's hangars...

oooooooooo

Kira was quite simply stunned with the appearence of the new Terminal Mobile Suits: both the Strike Freedom and the Infinite Justice looked like the Mobile Suits they were the improved versions of, and yet, the differences were quite plain: both of them looked noticeably more agile, more polished and much more powerful than their counterparts, and the Strike Freedom sported what looked like a group of blue DRAGOON pods on its back, sprouting out of the mighty Mobile Suits' back like wings, and also had a pair of railguns mounted on its hips. On the other hand, the Infinite Justice looked like a melee machine, with numerous beam sabers hoisted in various parts of its red-purple body, and a much larger Fatum-1 flyer unit than the Justice's. Alongside them stood a shining golden Mobile Suit which closely resembled the Hyaku Shiki used by Char during the Gryps War. All three units looked powerful and majestic, almost giving out a palpable aura of power.

"So... these are the new Mobile Suits developed by our technicians, right?" Kira asked rhetorically, to which Cagalli gave a slight nod.

"Yeah... the Akatsuki was part of my father's legacy, to be fair. It was hidden in an hangar, and kept sealed for me to pilot when the situation called for it. Though I thought it could have been more useful in Captain La Flaga's hands, he's got much more experience than I do, and his space awareness makes him more apt at controlling the Akatsuki's DRAGOON pods than I am. I don't think there could be a more appropriate time for the Akatsuki to see action." the blonde princess answered, before glancing to her brother and her future sister-in-law. "We trust these new machines will be able to handle the new ZAFT Mobile Suits. As of now, they're our only hope to stop Char's asteroid drops and Chairman Durandal's Destiny Plan."

"I know, Cagalli... I know..." Lacus sighed, eviddently worried by the whole situation. "Now, we will have to rendezvous with the Ral Kairam and Captain Bright. As soon as the refueling is done, we will get going. There really is no time to waste."

Kira placed a reassuring hand on Lacus' shoulder. "Don't worry, Lacus, I think we actually stand a good chance now. Thanks to everyone's aid, I'm sure we can stop both the Neo Zeon / ZAFT alliance and the Martian Successors... the Strike Freedom and the Infinite Justice, along with Captain Amuro's Nu Gundam, will be our keys to the future."

oooooooooo

"_We are approaching the Londenion colony, where we will resupply and allow Ambassador Paraya to descend, Captain Hoshino._" Bright told Ruri from his comm screen, appearing in a window above the silver-haired girl's head and the ship computer Omoikane's console. "_We thank you for your assistance as of this moment, and we wish you a safe prosecution and a successful end to your mission._"

Ruri, keeping her face neutral, nodded slightly. "Likewise, we wish you good luck and trust your new Mobile Suits will be enough to thwart Neo Zeon and ZAFT's plans." she said in an almost-monotone.

Bright nodded in acceptance. "_We will certainly do all this is in our power. Good luck, Captain Hoshino, and godspeed._"

The communication ended, and Ruri, Hari and the other members of the bridge crew stood silently, watching the Ral Kairam's form getting away on the Nadesico B's radars, just as another door opened, letting Fiona, Lahge and Mitsuko on the main bridge.

"Oh my, look what we have here!" Saburouta greeted them. "Where have you disappeared to, guys? We were starting to think you had just vanished!". He chuckled a little at the end, earning himself some amused laughter from Fiona and Mitsuko as well.

"Hehehee... no, it's not that, Lt. Saburouta! We've been training Fiona in the Excellence's simulator, for when the Martian Successors will attack us again." Mitsuko answered. "I believe we have found a way to hold our own against those Shishikis that gave us so much grief at Amaterasu."

Hari's eyes widened visibly. "Is that so?" he exclaimed in surprise. "Well... that's good to know. Have you managed to work up a new weapon or a strategy against them, Miss Fiona!"

The redhead smiled cheerfully as she gave a thumbs-up to the young boy. "You bet! Next time we fight those freaks, the result will be different indeed! And when the other Nadesico pilots join us... you can bet the Martian Successors won't even know what hit them!"

Lahge nodded in satisfaction. "About Captain Bright and the others of the Ral Kairam... I hear they're off to the Londenion colony now." he said, to which Ryoko nodded.

"They are, and from what we've gathered, the remaining Terminal forces will soon rendez-vous with them to deliver their new Mobile Suits." the dark-haired girl answered. "Now, I just hope that will be enough... we already have our hands full as it is, and we really have no chance to mount a support operation should things go wrong. Our resources are simply not enough to do that."

"I know..." Fiona answered. "Our only hope is for our allies to be competent enough... and for my strategy to actually work against those Shishiki things..."

The Nadesico B continued on its way towards Earth, a gloomy sense of foreboding hanging in the air. They were heading to an extremely important battle, which would ultimately decide the fate of the whole Solar System...

oooooooooo

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Author's Note: I don't have much to say for this chapter's end, really. As you have seen, the new Mobile Suits are being delivered to Terminal, and we've seen some familiar characters re-emerging. And before you ask, yes, Cagalli will pilot again! I am one of the many who were disappointed by how she was mistreated in the canon Gundam SEED Destiny...**

**Next chapter will probably be very much Char's Counterattack centered, and Quess will begin taking a much more important role in the scheme of things... That having been said, I bid you farewell for now, and hope to see you again soon!**


	10. Parting Ways

**SUPER ROBOT WARS S**

**Welcome back to my story! I apologize for taking this long to update, but I had many things to do, and I felt compelled to write other things in the meantime! Anyway, in this chapter, things begin to really heat up for Terminal, as the ultimate showdown between the ages-old rivals, Amuro Ray and Char Aznable, gets closer and closer... while the Nadesico crew, Fiona included, will find themselves back on Earth to search for the old Nadesico pilots, which will see them forced into somewhat awkward situations. But make no mistake, the struggle against the Martial Successors and the Neo Zeon / ZAFT alliance will be no laughing matter! Hopefully, now that Fiona seems to have developed her own strategy to deal with Hokushin and his cronies, the fight will be somewhat more even, instead of the all-out humiliation our main girl has been given earlier...**

**Anyway, let's not anticipate too much! I'll leave you to read the new chapter, and I hope you will have fun with the twists and turns this story will give you before its end!**

**Good reading!**

oooooooooo

**Chapter 10 - Parting Ways**

"And that's where our ways depart, I guess." Captain Bright Noah said, looking at Ruri through his communication screen as the Ral Kairam and the Nadesico B began separating from each other, the former heading towards Londenion while the latter continued on its way to Earth. "We deeply thank you over your collaboration, and we hope to be able to repay the favor soon enough."

"Think nothing of it, Captain Noah." Ruri replied, her usual polite, seemingly emotionless tone not changing one iota. "We wish you good luck in your mission... and we will certainly come to your aid if we get a chance to do so."

"If I can make a little request... please, stop Neo Zeon and ZAFT for us!" Fiona pleaded, standing near the captain's seat along with Hari, Saburouta and Ryoko. "We promise we will do all that's in our power to defeat Kusakabe and his bunch of cutthroats... so, I guess it's an even trade, isn't it?"

Bright actually smiled thinly at the joke. "That's a way to look at things. In any case, we wish you success in your endeavors, and we hope to hear good news from you soon enough."

"Likewise." Ruri answered as the two ship captains saluted each other, before the communications interrupted, and the crew of the Nadesico B slowly went back to work.

"And so, after all this time, we're back on Earth..." Fiona said nostalgically, rubbing her forehead. "Man, so much time went by since I last saw it, that I don't even know what to expect..."

"Yes, we remember... you told us that you've pretty much grown up in those laboratory complexes on the Moon, and you haven't had much contact with the outside world in a while..." Ryoko answered. "Sadly, I'm afraid that the Earth is in pretty sorry shape, right now. All those years of war and abuse will do that to a planet... and if either Neo Zeon, ZAFT or the Martian Successors have their way, it can only get worse."

"It's sad, really... that humans would go that far to damage the world they've lived in... and the colonies and PLANTs won't be nearly enough to accomodate mankind. Especially considering how the relationships between Eartnoids and Spacenoids have been damaged by the policies of both LOGOS and Dekim Barton's government." Hari commented.

Saburouta shrugged, and tried to veer the argument towardsless depressing territories. "Well, now, let's not be too hard on Earth... even us Jovians have done our fair quantity of screw-ups." he said, his mind thinking back of the brutal war between the Earth and Jupiter, three years before. "If only we had seen what kind of person Kusakabe was, we wouldn't have been swayed by his words, and we wouldn't have fanatically believed all the lies he was feeding us. Maybe, then, this situation could have been avoided."

Hari was the first one to admit that hedidn't like the Jovian pilot very much, but even he had to admit that what he was saying made sense. Still, it was also true that it wouldn't have done anyone good to keep dwelling uponsuch things that couldn't be changed, and the best thing to do was to concentrate on finding the remaining members of the former Nadesico crew, and convince them to rejoin the fray...

And hopefully, he thought to himself while sparing a cursory, melanchonic glance at the teenaged captain, that might have given him the chance to speak more freely to Captain Hoshino... which was something he had hoped to do for a long time now...

oooooooooo

Not two hours later, the Ral Kairam had landed at Londenion's spaceport, and a black limo had come to fetch Adenauer and his daughter, and escort them to the hotel in which they would be staying for the duration of Mr. Paraya's assignment. At that moment, Adenauer was busy giving Captain Bright and the rest of the Ral Kairam's crew the last farewells before departing...

"Very well then... I thank you for your cooperation and your willingness to aid." Adenauer said as he shook Bright's hand, his other hand on Quess' head as if he was petting a kitten.

"It was simply our duty to do so." Bright answered nonchalantly. "I wish you good luck on the negotiations."

Adenauer smiled, but it was a fake smile. "Negotiations?" he said, trying to sound jovial and nonchalant about it. "And who, pray tell, would I be here to... negotiate with?"

"Well, Ambassador Paraya, with all due respect..." Bright answered, losing none of his polite tone. "I should think that one of the most high-ranked dignitaries in the New Federation government is here for a mission that requires his diplomatic skills."

"_After all,_" the young captain thought to himself after saying so. "_one does not send a general to do a corporal's job._"

Adenauer, who up until then had tried to maintain a mask of politeness, frowned noticeably as he turned away slightly from the Ral Kairam crew. "My arrival on this colony must be kept secret... at least until the time is right to make it official! Am I clear about this?" he asked, sounding more like he was ordering the crew to be silent. Bright, never one to openly question a superior, simply saluted in agreement, and Adenauer breathed a sigh of both relief and frustration. "Glad to see we agree on that. And now... let us go, Quess! We don't have a moment to lose!"

"Yes, father..." Quess murmured, as she began following her father towards the limo who had come to pick them up. She cast a cursory glance backwards, towards the Ral Kairam crew, to see Hathaway waving at her, somewhat sad to see her go. She answered with a small, half-hearted wave of her hand and finally reached the car...

Had the Ral Kairam crew been a little closer to the limo, they probably would have recognized the man who, just then, came out of the car to greet the dignitary and his daughter: a rather plain-looking man with dirty blond hair and elegant looking glasses, dressed in a simple light grey suit with a bright red necktie, stepped out of the passenger's seat to welcome Adenauer and Quess to Londenion... and as he opened the back doors of the car to allow them to get seated, he glanced up wistfully to the Ral Kairam and its captain. Cameron Bloom, now a secretary of the New Earth Federation embassy (not to mention, former fiancee of Bright's wife Mirai), could not help but have his thoughts drift off for a brief moment...

"That's Captain Bright Noah of Terminal..." he murmured to himself, as he sat back in the limo. "I hope he's getting on well with miss Mirai..."

Then, he closed the door behind him, and the driver started off the car again and began driving away...

oooooooooo

Amuro sighed angrily as he watched Adenauer's limo speed out of the spaceport and into the streets of Londenion. There were quite a few things he didn't like about the whole thing... and Adenauer taking it so easy and acting as if the Ral Kairam was some kind of public transport when there was a crisis impending on Earth... well, that was the least of his worries at the moment.

"Sorry, captain Amuro..." Chan intervened, a little worried about her superior's attitude. The Chinese girl had changed into civilian clothes, namely a long-sleeved white shirt with long blue trousers and white ankle-high boots, and her hair was neatly combed to the right side of her head. "Is... is there something troubling you?"

"Oh, Chan... yes, actually there is, and it's Adenauer's attitude." the New Federation ace answered bitterly. "He's forcing us to fight his battles, while he goes away negotiating with the enemy. That's something I can't stomach."

"Understandable..." Chan answered glumly... but, one second later, she perked up again and smiled cheerfully at Amuro. "You know, captain Amuro... you're usually very kind, but when you do get angry, you become kind of scary!"

Amuro was caught a little off-guard by Chan's statement, and his face softened up in a look of confusion. "Oh... do I, really?" he asked, feeling somewhat silly. The Chinese girl crossed her arms on her chest and nodded sagely, keeping her eyes closed in mock condescending.

"Oh, yes, you do!" she answered, laughing a little at the joke. Amuro himself, after a brief moment of confusion, couldn't help but let out a brief chuckle.

"Anyway, Captain Amuro... Warrant officer Agi... we have just received word from the lunar Anaheim base about the Eternal and the new Mobile Suits!" Meyrin reported, showing up right at that moment with Athrun accompanying her. Amuro, Chan and Bright turned to her, and the young captain nodded to give her permission to speak. "Thank you... The Eternal and the Archangel have arrived at the Anaheim lunar base, carrying Lady Lacus, Captain Ramius and more Terminal personnel with them, along with the new Mobile Suits. They are just waiting for our answer to arrange a rendez-vous."

"That's good news, at least." Bright commented. "Any news on the movements of Neo Zeon, ZAFT or the Martian Successors?"

"None as of yet from the former two parties." Athrun answered. "Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Martian Successors, whose experiments with Boson Jumping seem to have met with success... one of their fleets recently attacked and destroyed a New Federation feet, despite critical inferiority in numbers, but simply B Jumping directly in the midst of them and starting wreaking havoc. We still do not know how they managed to carry out and survive a Boson Jump, but... the results are plainly in front of us."

"I see..." Amuro conceded bitterly. "Once again, we are forcedto rely on the Nadesico crew to weather the Martian Successors' attacks. Not that we'd be able to do much anyway, with Neo Zeon and ZAFT hot on our trail."

"The good news is that the Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice should make the battlefield a little more even in our favour." Bright added. "That at least should take some pressure off of us. Still, I think Captain Amuro Ray has a point on what he said earlier. It is plain that Ambassador Paraya is here to arrange some agreement with the Neo Zeon higher-ups, and I'm not entirely convinced about it being completely honest."

"We see what you mean, Captain Bright..." Athrun answered. "But it's not really our place to question what the higher-ups of the Neo Federation do, right? We have no legal power over them, anyway..."

Chan sighed. "Anyway, just talking about this wn't take us anywhere. What we can do now is simply wait for our supplies to come, and for the Eternal and Archangel to rendez-vous with us. By the way, other than them, we're supposed to be greeting a new pilot here in Londenion. Her name is... Kayla Su, and she seems to be an old acquaintance of a member of our crew, right?"

"Indeed she is... I heard she and Mr. Astonage are quite close, if you catch my meaning..." Meyrin said, smiling sweetly while her cheeks took on a rosy tint. "Anyway, having another pilot on our side can do nothing but aid us, so I look forward to her joining us!"

Amuro nodded. "We all do, Crewman Hawke. We all do."

oooooooooo

Canberra Hotel, in the main center of Londenion. In the largest, most ornate room in the hotel, a fair number of Neo Federation and Neo Zeon executives were sitting around a large table, and were waiting for the last few remaining guests to arrive, so that negotiations could begin in earnest. There was an air of formality and decor, but still, the atmosphere was quite heavy... the partecipants obviously did not trust each other that much, and it showed...

The room's elegant double doors opened with a slight creak, and a guard allowed Ambassador Adenauer Paraya and Secretary Cameron Bloom in, showing him his seat at the conference table, which both men graciously accepted. "Mr. Paraya, Mr. Bloom... we welcome you to our peace conference." one of the Neo Zeon executives greeted him, as the Neo Federation ambassador took his place.

"It is I who have to extend to you my welcome to Londenion... and I hope our negotiations can go smoothly." Adenauer answered, just as another set of double doors, in the other side of the room, opened up. Immediately, all heads turned to them, and some excited muttering could be heard as the guest of honor confidently entered the room.

"Oh, there he is..." a Neo Zeon executive could be heard saying. "The Supreme Commander himself!"

Cameron looked at the man with concern. Quite a bit younger than most of the men in the room, yet still enough of a celebrity to be the center of all attention, Char Aznable entered the room and sat at the head of the conference table, silently signalling that the meeting could start. Everyone took his place and waited a few moments, before the Neo Zeon leader cleared his throat and gave his opening speech.

"I extend to all of you my warmest welcome to this peace conference." Char began. "I see that we are all here on time, and there were no unpredicted incidents keeping any of us from taking part. If everyone is here, then, we can start with discussing the matter at hand."

"Indeed, Colonel Char Aznable." Adenauer answered. As the chief diplomat on the Neo Federation side, he was expected to pull his weight the most out of all the representatives of his faction. "We are taking part in this meeting to discuss the peace conditions the Neo Zeon and ZAFT alliance has furthered to the Federation government. Conditions which we are ready and willing to fulfill."

"_What conditions are they talking about?_" Cameron thought to himself. "_I have a bad feeling about all of this..._"

"Very well, then." A Neo Zeon executive, sitting beside Char himself, said as he brought out a few leaflets. "Before we agree on this, we have to take a look at the documents and control the conditions of our deal."

Adenauer nodded. "I don't think there will be a problem over this - as the conditions are indeed pretty simple: if Neo Zeon and ZAFT cease hostile actions towards the Earth Federation, we will be glad to sell Axis, which is currently in our possession, to Neo Zeon."

Cameron's eyes widened, and he felt his blood run cold at the news. The Neo Federation... was actually alllowing possession of Axis, a potentially very dangerous asteroid, to Neo Zeon? After Neo Zeon and ZAFT had dropped Luna-5 on Lahsa? What kind of madness was that?

"Of course, the Neo Zeon and ZAFT armies will have to abandon their advance positions, and disarm completely. Their weapon are to be handed over to the Neo Earth Federation, at the time and place we have agreed on... Luna-2, within 72 hours of signing this contract." Adenauer continued, with barely-concealed smugness.

"We are in agreement over this." Char answered, inwardly smiling at the man's short-sightedness. "Now there is no more reason to be fighting. You may check the payment, just to be sure."

"Thank you." Adenauer said, nodding in agreement and pointing to a few suitcases, filled with shining gold bars, which some Neo Zeon officers were bringing in. "Mr. Bloom, if you please, you can count the gold bars."

"Er... of course!" the secretary answered, before getting to work. Still, he could not shake the feeling that something incredibly wrong was going on with that agreement. Unfortunately, among the Neo Federation personnel, he seemed to be the only one holding that opinion. The other executives, Adenauer especially, seemed very pleased with themselves, and were sure they had just concluded a very proficuous deal.

"Axis is in our possession now." a Neo Zeon officer continued, as Cameron was about done counting the gold bars. "However, our fleet will escort it towards Sweetwater, our main base."

"We have nothing to object about this." Adenauer concluded. "Axis' nuclear engines are still operative, so there will be no problems with that. I guess that concluded our agreement, and I trust this signifies the start of more friendly relationships between the Federation and Neo Zeon."

Char nodded, satisfied about the outcome of the meeting. It all had gone according to his plan... "Indeed, it is my hope as well..."

oooooooooo

A scarce few minutes later, as the Neo Federation officers' cars were driving away from the place of the meeting, Char and a group of Neo Zeon executives were still in the conference room, coldly watching the vehicles drive away from the hotel. It was still quite early in the afternoon, and the colony was still illuminated by the artificial equivalent of daylight... which wasa plus, in Char's eyes. The meeting had ended earlier than he had anticipated, which meant that he could take some free time. Once again, he thought cynically to himself, he had underestimated the stupidity and the myopia of the Earth government...

"Such petty individuals. They have no idea what they have brought upon themselves." Char commented, more to himself than to the men of his staff. "Well, all the better for us, I guess. Had Terminal known that we were in this colony, things might not have proceeded this smoothly. Don't you agree, gentlemen?"

"You are absolutely right, Colonel." An elderly gentleman behind him answered. Right at his side, a slightly younger executive did nothing but nod, keeping his eyes on Char's figure, who was at the moment still staring out of the window, his face set in grim determination...

"_I am about to do a terrible thing, Amuro._" he thought to himself. "_If you are nearby, you should already have felt my presence._"

oooooooooo

A little while later, in one of the green areas of the colony...

"Yahooo! Now this is fun!" Quess exclaimed as she stood upright on the back seat of the jeep driven by Amuro, with Hathaway on the front passenger seat. Adenauer's daughter seemed to love the feeling of the winds blowing against her face, and was trying to make the most out of that unpredicted but welcome trip. "Really, Amuro, thanks for coming and pick me up! Being stuffed in that hotel would have been such a bore..."

"Well, you can thank Hathaway for the idea... he was the one who thought it up in the first place." Amuro answered, slightly turning his glance to the teenaged boy sitting beside of him, holding a cute green spherical robot in his arms. "Though, admittedly, we did have a bit of spare time on our hands..."

"I just thought you might have liked coming along as well..." Hathaway explained to the turquoise-haired girl. There was a slight nervousness in hs tone that could have tipped an attentive listener off about the fact that Hathaway was actually hoping to spend more with Quess, but the girl did not really seem to pick up on that...

"Now that I think of it, Hathaway... what's with that little robot you're holding there?" she asked, pointing to the strange spherical robot in the young boy's arms... which immediately began flapping a pair of short, round "wings" at the sides of its body and lighting up its small eyes.

"HARO, QUESS! HARO!" it blared out, startling the girl a little. Hathaway gave a brief laugh, before answering her question.

"Oh, that's Haro. It's a gift from Captain Amuro..." he explained, before a slight bump on the road caused the jeep to hop slightly and both teenagers to fall back in their seats with an alarmed yelp. 

"Now, kids, get seated and hold tight. The road is somewhat bumpy around here..." he warned as he slowed down the jeep. Glancing at his right, the young Terminal captain saw a small lake in the distance, and he caught a glimpse of a few white swans flying above the water...

Suddently, Amuro's Newtype senses kicked in, and for a split second, the image of the swans was substituted by that of a dark-skinned girl wearing an ethereal yellow dress. Alarmed and shocked, Amuro quickly slowed down and parked the jeep on the side of the road, his eyes affixed on a group of trees only a scarce hundred feet in front of him and his two young friends. He had a strange, uneasy feeling about this...

"Captain Amuro, what's the matter?" Hathaway asked. "Is everything okay?"

Amuro remained silent... and just a few seconds later, the sound of a slowly pacing horse was heard, along with the sound of leaves and branches being parted. The Terminal captain tensed for whatever could come out of the leafage... and his fears were realized as a tall, magnificent black horse showed up, with an all-too-well-known rider upon it: a blond, elegant man in his early thirties, wearing a pair of sunglasses and with a telltale scar on the bridge of his nose...

"Char!" Amuro exclaimed.

The Neo Zeon leader's glance quickly shifted to his rival. "Amuro..."

oooooooooo

Just as Amuro and Char had run into each other, two other people had met after a long time in Londenion's spaceport: Bright Noah and Cameron Bloom were sitting, one in front of the other, in a waiting room, in one of the spaceport's outer wings, and both seemed quite pleased to see the other.

"I apologize for bothering you in such a moment, Captain Bright. I understand you are very busy at the moment." Cameron was saying, as he sat down in one the waiting room's armchairs.

Bright did not seem to mind in the least. "Think nothing of it, Mr. Bloom." he answered. "On the contrary, I am glad to see you're doing well."

"Thank you very much. I trust the same can be said of your wife... I mean, Mrs. Mirai." Cameron answered, his question also coming from some lingering feelings towards his former fianceè.

Bright sighed melanchonically, thinking of his wife that had remained on Earth. "Well, she's doing alright... that I know of. It's been six months since I last saw her, but we do keep in touch."

Satisfied with the answer, Cameron decided to tackle the problem directly. "Alright then... let's go straight to the problem I'm here to discuss with you. To be fair, I was kind of undecided whether I should tell you or not, but... recent happenings have convinced me to do so."

Bright looked perplexed. "What are you talking about, Mr. Bloom?"

"The fact is... Char Aznable himself is in this colony!" he revealed. "By negotiating with the New Federation government, he managed to buy Axis from them, as a token of a peace agreement."

It took Bright only one second to put two and two together, and the realization chilled him to the bone. "Wait... wait a moment!" he exclaimed, eyes wide in horror. "You... you mean to say... that Char is going to drop Axis itself on Earth? An asteroid of such size... will cause an almost instantaneous nuclear winter! There's no way the Earth could be saved if such a thing were to happen!"

oooooooooo

Amuro and Char stood almost frozen in place, glaring hatefully at each other, for a few tense moments. Hathaway and Quess, on their parts, could do nothing but stay silent and wait for whatever was going to happen... and finally, with a quick movement, Amuro dismounted from the jeep and drew his gun, aiming it at his all-time rival!

"Char! Why the hell are you here?" Amuro shouted. In front of his rage and indignation, Char maintained an admirable self-control and, seemingly not caring about the weapon pointed at him, took off his sunglasses and dismounted from his horse.

"Unlike you, Amuro, I am not simply a pilot." he answered ambiguously, drawing a gun as well and taking aim. The tension was so thick one could as well have cut the air with a knife... it was as if the two enemies were waiting for the other to make the first move. Each one of them could have simply lowered the finger on the trigger, and that would have been it.

"Whatever the case is, I cannot allow you to reduce the Earth to a barren, frozen rock!" Amuro challenged, all senses - both mundane and supernatural - alert in case the Neo Zeon leader tried anything. However, Char seemed to be in the mood for debate, and answered with a calm, yet still vengeful, accusation.

"As long as people exist whose soul is held down by gravity, humanity will never be able to evolve!" he shouted back. "For that, a complete revolution of mankind is necessary. The Earth cannot contain all of humanity's selfishness, can't you see it?"

"That may be true..." Amuro conceded. "I will grant that those who live on Earth have been tyrannical, and even genocidal at times, against the Spacenoids. I haven't forgotten what people like Blue Cosmos have done... but human wisdom can overcome that, too!"

"Are you really convinced of that, you naive idealist?" the blond ace answered. "Then, why don't you grant your wisdom to those fools, right now?"

As Quess listened to the exchange of accusations and justifications between the two enemies, she found herself thinking more and more about what Char was saying... and, more importantly, she was agreeing with him more and more with every moment. What was wrong with what he was trying to do? She had seen first-hand how vicious and corrupt the Earth government was... and how little the inhabitants of Earth cared for others. If her own father was neglecting her to this point, well... it was proof that Earthnoids were irrevocably corrupt with selfishness and greed! There was no other way to change this than what Char was trying to do...

"I will do just that... after I kill you!" Amuro concluded, taking aim and pointing straight at Char's heart. The Neo Zeon leader shifted sideways, trying to anticipate the moment when Amuro's finger would have pressed the trigger...

But just then, something neither of them expected happened! Hathaway let out a small cry of alarm as Quess dismounted the jeep as well... and threw herself against Amuro with all the strength her lithe body count afford! The suddenness of this unexpected move ensured that Amuro was caught off guard, and caused him to drop his gun, which fell to the ground with a clatter. Before anyone could regain their wits, Quess bent down and picked up the gun... then, she ran at Char's side and unsteadily aimed the weapon at Amuro!

"Quess!" Hathaway exclaimed.

"Quess! What are you doing? Stop joking around!" Amuro tried to reason with the girl, but the only reaction he got was to cause Quess to tense all the more. Unfortunately for the Terminal ace, this was no joking matter to the girl...

"I'm not joking! Amuro, you're being petty... no, not just you! You're all being petty!" Quess shouted. At that distance, even a complete beginner was dangerous when holding a gun, and the now weaponless Amuro could do nothing to hold back the angered teen. "Can't you see that he's right? By driving humanity is outer space... everyone will become a Newtype! Then, everyone will be able to understand each other, and nobody will be sad anymore! Why are you trying to stop this?"

"Quess, think about it!" Hathaway called out to her. "What Char is doing will cause the death of millions! How can you justify that?"

Quess actually seemed to falter for a little while. That was true, and she knew it... by joining Char, she would bloody her hands as well, and the thought sickened her... but if the alternative was to keep things as they were now, then she had no doubts what was the right thing to do. "Isn't it a fair trade? Even if many people die now... in the future, even more people will live happily! Some sacrifices are needed for a greater good!"

As Quess spoke, Char was looking at her with curiosity. As a Newtype, the Neo Zeon leader had a knack for spotting another of his kind, and he felt that this young girl had at least the potential to be a powerful Newtype... no, not just that... there was something about her that reminded him of Lalah Sune, the Newtype partner he had lost so many years ago...

In any case, Char decided, Quess seemed to agree with him and had Newtype potential... he could make use of someone like her...

"I see..." he said, gently laying a hand on Quess' shoulder in a fatherly way. "You seem to agree with what I'm doing... then, why don't you come with me? With your strength, we can build the world you wish for!"

"What?" Quess asked, startled. She never expected Char to actually ask her to join him... but the surprise lasted very little before the turquoise-haired girl smiled and nodded in agreement. Satisfied, Char began stepping back, still aiming his gun at Amuro, and mounted back on his horse before helping his new recruit up, making her sit right behind his back.

"It seems that people agree with me and my intentions, Amuro." the blond colonel said, his veiled smile taunting Amuro. "You can keep your so-called wisdom. I, on the other hand, will try to do what has to be done to stop the greed of humanity. I trust we'll meet again... on the battlefield!"

Char gave his horse a command, and the black stallion obediently began running in the direction opposite to Amuro and Hathaway, taking Quess with him! In desperation, Hathaway tried calling out to the girl, but she didn't even turn back...

"Quess! QUESS!" Hathaway exclaimed, watching powerlessly as Char and Quess got farther and farther. Amuro could do nothing but grit his teeth in anger... now, that girl, too, was under Char's spell...

And he couldn't help but fear that, just like Lalah in the One Year War, she would have gotten caught in the crossfire...

oooooooooo

Back to the spaceport where Adenauer was supposed to board the shuttle taking him back to Earth... and where, at the moment, a rather tense scene was taking place betwen the ambassador and Captain Bright...

"With all due respect sir, you've committed the most foolish mistake I've ever seen!" Bright shouted indignantly, slamming his fist on the table in front of him. Even if he had served in the Federation army for so long, he was still amazed at the abject stupidity of some of their decisions. "You have understood nothing of Char's real intentions!"

Despite everything, Adenauer remained arrogant and self-assured, not even bothering to turn to Bright as he answered the accusations. "If this agreement hadn't been carried out, Char would have destroyed the colonies and PLANTs. We have averted a huge tragedy, don't you think so?" he asked rhetorically, sounding as if he was saying the most logical thing in the world.

Bright resisted the urge to smack his hand on his face. How could that man be so annoyingly blind? "Please, ambassador Paraya, don't tell me that you actually believed this ruse! Char would never do such a thing... his objective is to destroy you, who still live on Earth, and you've just sold him the means with which to do it!" he answered. This time, Adenauer seemed to get at least a clue of what he had done, and grit his teeth in rage and annoyance. As much as he was trying to come up with a suitable answer, he found that he was unable to find a valid argument with which to justify himself...

Bright calmed down slightly and cleared his throat. "Terminal will act independently, to keep Neo Zeon and ZAFT under close scrutiny. With your permission, I'll be going now."

"Alright, alright..." Adenauer answered, trying to hide his frustrattion to little avail as he picked up his cell phone and composed a number. "If you think the Earth is in danger, intervene and avert the danger." Then, he placed his cell phone near his ear and waited for an answer that came quickly enough. "Hello? Canberra Hotel? This is ambassador Adenauer Paraya here... What? Quess isn't in her room? Oh, well, that matters little... I wouldn't have been able to bring her along anyway... Right, just tell her that when she comes back... Thanks..."

As Bright left to retun to the Ral Kairam, he couldn't help but spare a disgusted look at Adenauer. As a family man, he just couldn't understand how it was possible that Adenauer cared so little about his own daughter... he wasn't even worried that she wasn't in her room...

oooooooooo

Back on Earth, in the Yokohama Nergal Docks, the mobile battleship Nadesico-B had finally landed, its crew completely oblivious to what had just happened in Londenion... and Captain Hoshino, along with her most trusted crewmen, was now standing at attention in front of Admiral Kouichiro Misumaru, who was listening intently to the report of what had happened during their journey.

"And that concludes our resume of the Nadesico-B's mission to Amaterasu." Ruri said calmly, with Hari, Saburouta, Ryoko and Fiona standing at her sides. "Unfortunately, as we've heard, the Martian Successors' attacks are getting more and more frequent, and they are just about mastering the Boson Jump technology. If the crushing defeats the Neo Federation fleet has suffered recently are any indication, we are in for very hard times indeed."

"Right... and that's the reason why you need to gather the old Nadesico crew. They are the only ones, as of now, that can help us stem the Martian Successors' rampage." Admiral Misumaru answered, sitting at his desk with his hands in front of him. "And to help you in this endeavor, I have found someone you might recognize..."

"Really, Admiral Misumaru?" Hari asked incredulously. "And... who might that one be?"

Kouichiro smiled warmly behind his thick moustache, and his eyes pointed to a large aquarium at the side of the room. "Why don't you take a look for yourselves? I think you'll be glad to see an old acquaintance of yours!"

Ruri and her crewmates turned in that direction... and just then, a thin man in his thirties, with a short moustache, small looking-glasses and a mop of neatly combed blue-black hair, wearing a colorful business suit, came up from behind the aquarium, smiling good-naturedly at the young heroes.

"Aaaand... from the dephts of the deep blue sea, comes back a familiar face!" said the man, his arm raised upwards in a mock-dramatic gesture. "Pleased to meet everyone again! Especially you, little Ruri! My, my, how you've grown since I last saw you!"

"Mr. Prospector..." Ruri answered, recognizing the advisor that had accompained the Nadesico crew during the first voyage. Ryoko recognized the man as well, and Hari and Saburouta seemed to at least have an idea who he was... but Fiona furrowed her brow in slight confusion. Ruri took notice and was quick to introduce Prospector to the red-haired test pilot. "Mr. Prospector was Nergal's accountant during the Nadesico's maiden voyage, and his duty was to keep track of the expenses and to act as a recruiting officer. His aid has been unvaluable to all of us."

"Really, I am just a simple accountant!" the slim man commented modestly. "Still, I have to say, I took pride in my work onboard the Nadesico-A, and I would very much like to be of assistance any way I can. By the way, miss... you must be that test pilot I heard about. The one the Nadesico-B picked up at those laboratories on the Moon."

"Yeah, that's me!" Fiona smiled and extended her hand to Prospector. "The name is Fiona Grayden, I'm nineteen years old, and I'm the pilot of the Excellence Striker and the Excellence Cosmo Driver. It was a pleasure to aid Captain Hoshino... and I hope I can do the same later on! Pleased to meet you, Mr. Prospector... but the way, is that really your name?"

Prospector chuckled heartily as he shook on Fiona's hand. "Hehehee... no, not really... it's just a nickname I prefer to go by. Anyway, much appreciated, Miss Fiona. Now, with Admiral Misumaru's permission, we might as well be on our way to gather back the old crew... Admiral Misumaru, if you please."

"Go ahead, I wouldn't want to waste any more of your time." Kouichiro answered. "I wish you the best of luck... and I pray for a quick resolution to this crisis."

"We know..." Fiona answered. "Do not worry, Admiral Misumaru, I said we were going to rescue your daughter and your son-in-law... and that's what we're gonna do!"

"Heh. Now you're speaking my language, girl!" Ryoko answered with a slight smirk. "Alright, then... s'pose we better get going! I'd like to see what those two goofs-off Hikaru and Izumi are doing now..."

oooooooooo

"We welcome you on board the Ral Kairam, Corporal Kayra Su." Bright Noah said as he welcomed the replacement pilot for the Re-GZ, who had just arrived at the spaceport. At the moment, the captain and the newcomer were standing in front of the battleship's main hangars, saluting each other. "We trust we can count on your skills to aid us in our mission."

The new pilot was a young woman in her late twenties or early thirties, with short, spiky blond hair and a somewhat tomboyish look, despite the red lipstick she was wearing. "Thank you, Captain Bright. I will do my very best as a replacement pilot." she answered.

Bright nodded. "Very well, then. I look forward to seeing your skills with my own eyes. For now, you are dismissed. Stand ready for our departure from the colony, we're expected to rendez-vous with the Eternal and the Archangel shortly."

"I see. Acknowledge, Captain Bright." Kayra answered, saluting back before heading towards her quarters, as Bright took a deep, calming breath. The preparations seemed to be going well, until then... but that incredibly idiotic move from the New Earth Federation was now threatening to ruin everything. If worst came to worst, it would have come down to reaching Axis and smashing it apart... though the size and mass of that thing, and the sheer acceleration of Axis' nuclear engines made such a task a daunting one indeed...

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Amuro and Hathaway slowly walking towards him... and immediately, an alarm was raised in his mind as he saw how dark and gloomy they looked. There was no need for Newtype super-senses to understand that something deeply wrong had happened to them...

"Captain Bright..." Amuro said dejectedly, doing a military salute which Hathaway imitated.

"At... at ease, Amuro, Hathaway..." Bright answered. "What happened out there? Don't tell me you actually managed to run into..."

"Into Char, of all people? That's what just happened..." Amuro answered, a vengeful tone to his voice. "What was he doing here? Don't tell me that Adenauer was coming here to... negotiate with him, of all people!"

"Unfortunately, that's what it turned out to be..." the young captain murmured. "In exchange for a ceasefire that is obviously going to be broken very soon, the New Earth Federation has agreed to sell Axis to Neo Zeon... and I think you can see where I'm going with this..."

Amuro grit his teeth. "Obviously... those idiots have pretty given Char a loaded gun for him to point at them." he murmured angrily. "Damn, if only we had been able to stop this..."

"Char even took Quess away!" Hathaway intervened. "He... he kidnapped Mr. Adenauer's daughter and wants to use her as a pawn in his scheme! We... we need to rescue her as soon as we can!"

"Hathaway..." Amuro said in an attempt to get the desperate teen to calm down. Hathaway seemed not to accept that Quess had gone to Char of her own volition...

"Please, father... next time we sortie... allow me to pilot as well! I want to fight to take Quess back!" Hathaway pleaded with his father, who regarded him in surprise for a moment... before opposing a firm refusal to his request.

"You know as well as I do that I cannot allow you to do that, Hathaway." Bright warned sternly. "First off, placing a civilian in an MS is tantamount to murder... and in any case, if you went out there to fight, you'd get killed in two seconds flat."

"But... father! I... I already have experience with the simulators! I will be able to hold my own..." Hathaway tried to protest, but his father made a stern gesture with his hand, signifying that his refusal was non-negotiable.

"You heard me. This is final... and simulations do not equate to experience on the field. I'm not allowing you on an MS." he said sternly. Hathaway bowed his head and clenched his fists, silently vowing not to let his father's words discourage him. He was going to save Quess, no matter the cost!

"Very well, then..." Amuro concluded. "As soon as we're done with refueling and restocking, we will head out to space to meet back with Lady Lacus and the remaining Terminal forces. I just hope we're not too late to stop Char and Durandal..."

oooooooooo

A few hours later, on board the Neo Zeon battleship called Rewloola...

"This ship is headed to Sweetwater." Char stated, matter-of-factly, as he and Quess dismounted from the shuttle that had taken them aboard. A group of Neo Zeon soldiers saluted their leader as he stepped on the platform, but they regarded with suspicion the turquoise-haired girl following him at a close distance. "Are you certain you want to join me on such an endeavor, Quess Paraya?"

"Absolutely!" the girl answered. There was no doubt nor misgiving in her voice now... "On board the Ral Kairam there's this annoying woman, and I wish never to see her again... but the one I'm most interested in is you, Char."

The Neo Zeon leader chuckled as they paced through the corridors of the Rewloola. "Really? Well, that's a flattering thing for you to say. And... what sparked this kind of interest in regards to me, if I'm not being too curious?"

"You said that people's souls are held back by gravity... and that's what I think as well! Though... I also feel that those who realize that are unfortunate indeed." Quess answered. She looked wistfully out of a window for a second...

"I'm simply walking the path I believe in." Char stated.

The two walked in silence for a few moments more... before Quess perked up again. "You know, Char... we ran into you while we were running after a swan. Weird, isn't it? It's as if our meeting was decided by destiny..."

Char's eyes widened a little at the mention of a swan... something which brought memories of Lalah roaring back to the surface, rubbing salt on unhealed scars... but he regained his composure almost instantly. "So... this is the reason why you betrayed Amuro and the others?" he asked, brooking no real reprimaind on the girl.

Quess' answer was accompained by a childish giggle. "Hehehee... I was never even their friend in the first place!" she exclaimed, before breaking into a small run through the corridor, Char calmly following her at his walking pace. His suspicion were finding more and more grounds as he spent time with that girl... judging from her sensibility, she appeared to be a promising Newtype. He had to put her through a few more tests to make sure, but he was fairly convinced of it...

oooooooooo

"I understand. Thank you for your cooperation." Durandal said to the agent on the other side of the call, before the communication was interrupted. The ZAFT Supreme Commander leaned back in his chair, as his adoptive son cast a worried glance to him.

"Is anything the matter, Gil?" Rey asked.

"Nothing we weren't expecting." Durandal answered, already analyzing the scenario in his mind. "To sum it up, I had one of my FAITH spies infiltrate the peace meeting between the New Earth Federation and Neo Zeon, using the cover identity of a Neo Zeon executive. And now, my suspicions have just been confirmed. Neo Zeon bought the mining asteroid Axis from the Federation for a sizeable amount of gold, and the Federation fleet has been lured to Luna-2 to formalize the deal. Naturally, this is all a ruse."

"I see. So, Char intends to use Axis to bring about nuclear winter on Earth." Rey concluded. "Gil... you think we should take action now? We're in a potentially dangerous position, and it could all backfire on us, if we're not careful."

Durandal nodded. "Correct. Therefore, Rey... I trust you and the rest of FAITH to act in accordance and neutralize this threat. At this point, we cannot afford to commit mistakes... and, above all, we must not show any more of our cards to Neo Zeon."

In respect, Rey bowed slightly to his adoptive father. "I see. We will see to it that Axis does not fall on Earth."

"Very well, Rey." Durandal concluded with a small smile. "I place my hopes upon you and Shinn. I know you will not disappoint me..."

oooooooooo

TO BE CONTINUED...


	11. Gathering The Crew

**SUPER ROBOT TAISEN S**

**oooooooooo**

**Welcome back, everyone! I need to apologize for the ridiculous amount of time that, once again, I took to update this story, but I had lots of things to do, and I was still a little disoriented after coming back from my vacations. Anyway, I trust you all had a nice beginning of the new year, and without further ado, I leave you to the beginning of my new chapter.**

**This time, I will be focusing mostly on the Nadesico side of the story, as Ruri and the crew of the Nadesico B try to gather the old bridge bunnies and pilots in order to stop the Martian Successors. And, on that note, we will also see some improvement - hopefully - with Ruri and Hari. Our favourite electronic fairy isn't all that receptive to the poor boy's feelings, is she?**

**Anyway, that's about it from me! Now, let us enjoy the new chapter, and I hope to be able to update soon with another chapter of Super Robot Taisen S Zero!**

**Later, folks!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 11 - Gathering the crew**

"Prospector of Nergal Heavy Industries..." Fiona read aloud, reading the card she had been given by the bespectacled Nergal executive. "So, from what I can gather, you have been working with the Nadesico crew during the first Earth-Jupiter war, and you have kept tabs on the old crew for a long time..."

"Quite so, yes." the strange man answered, his fingers lightly stroking his short moustache. He then produced a small notebook from the inside of his suit and began reading through it. "I acknowledge, it was not the nicest action I could take, but considering what kind of enemy we are up against, it is fortunate that we at Nergal have taken such precautions. Anyway, first things first: we need to locate the Aestivallis pilots before everything else... and that means miss Hikaru Amano, who is now an emerging mangaka, and miss Izumi Maki, who now owns a small bar. Those two should not be hard to convince, especially since we already have their old squad leader, miss Ryoko Subaru, on our side."

"Indeed." Ruri answered.

Prospector nodded and adjusted his glasses. "Then, this is what we need to do. We'll split up in groups of two, in order to reach every member of the old crew faster and more efficiently."

"But is this really necessary?" Hari asked, somewhat annoyedly. "I mean, do we really not stand any chance at all against the Martian Successors all by ourselves? With the Captain's skills and Lt. Subaru, Lt. Saburouta and Miss Fiona on our side, we can defeat any enemy, can't we?"

Ruri seemed not to listen to Hari's complaining, while Fiona sighed and turned a somewhat annoyed glance at the black-haired boy. "Sure we can. We can defeat that red freak who was having a field day sweeping the floor with my Excellence." she snarked, before shaking her head in apology. "Okay, okay, that was uncalled for on my part... but still, we are not up to par with those guys as of now, and captain Bright cannot lend us any aid. We need to gather our allies if we are to defeat Kusakabe and his flunkies."

Hari sighed and looked down, accepting this truth... and Fiona cast a sideways glance at Ruri, who did not seem to have really acknowledged that Hari had tried to get his point across. The albino girl was a little too dismissive of Hari, in her humble opinion...

**oooooooooo**

"Oh, what a surprise! It's been soooo long since we last saw each other, Ruri-Ruri!" the smiling face of a glasses-wearing young woman of about twenty-three years of age, with shoulder-long and somewhat unkempt red hair cascading down both sides of her head, peeked out of the door of the small Shinjuku apartment. Despite having been at least two years since former pilot Hikaru Amano had last seen the rest of the Nadesico crew, she really hadn't changed that much, aside from the fact that she had turned her love for anime and manga into her everyday job. According to what Ruri and her friends had heard, Hikaru had become an aspiring mangaka, and was now in the process of creating her first real series.

Ruri, Hari and Saburouta bowed gracefully as Hikaru, dressed in baggy house clothes, a warm hakama, and a white band tied around her forehead, opened the door and let them inside, revealing a small and messy house with innumerable drawing tools, papers, otaku paraphernalia (which included a few models of Gekiganger 3, Hikaru's favourite mecha anime) and drawings scattered everywhere. Inside the living room, the three coould see a large grey table upon which Hikaru had laid her almost-finished works, but even those were in disarray. It seemed clear that Hikaru Amano was quite the high-strung girl and was forever in a hurry to meet her deadlines.

Smiling warmly, Hikaru produced a few chairs from her living room and motioned for Ruri, Hari and Saburouta to sit down. "Please, guys, have a seat! Then you can tell me all about you... especially on the reason why you're here after so much time! I'd really love to hear all about this!"

"Thank you, Hikaru. Truth be told, we have come here to ask you for a favor..." the albino girl answered as she and her crewmates sat down, and Hikaru took one of the seats for herself. "Recently, some of the terminal colonies of the Hisago Plan - which, as you probably already know, was supposedly a plan to allow for better, faster interstellar travel via the control of Boson Jumping, have been attacked by a mysterious enemy..."

As Ruri narrated the story, she could plainly see that Hikaru's perky demeanor was gradually dampening, and the news that a completely changed Akito had been responsible for attacking the Hisago Plan colonies, and that Kusakabe was the real mastermind behind the whole deceit, had her previous enthusiasm dissipate completely, replaced by a mask of seriousness and gravity which looked cruelly out of place on the vivaciouss redhead's face. When Ruri and her friends had finally ended their story, talking about the incident at the Montoya labs, their meeting with Fiona and her friends, and the other problem Earth was facing with the combined forces of ZAFT and Neo Zeon... Hikaru had no need for any more words to be convinced into joining them.

"Very well, then! I'm ready to help you out, everyone, and we'll make sure those who did this to Akito and captain Misumaru pay!" Hikaru exclaimed, more forcefully than she probably meant. However, one second later, her confidence seemed to falter slightly, and she scratched her forehead in doubt. "Huh... only, I've got a small problem on my hands, as of now. Y'see, there is this new manga I'm drawing, and I've got a deadline soon, but with the kind of life I have as of now... well, let's just say I haven't had much time to draw and continue my work. And if I miss my deadline, well... my editors aren't going to take this well, as you might imaginee! Hehehee... that's why... erm... I kinda need to ask you to help me out on the last part of the drawings! Do you think you could do that?"

"Oh, absolutely, miss! Anything for a comely young lady such as yourself!" Saburouta answered first, flipping his blonde-and-crimson lock over his head with what was meant to be a charming gesture. Judging from Hikaru's unchanged expression, the attempt had fallen completely flat on her.

"It is okay with us." Ruri went on. "You just need to tell us what we haave to do, and we'll do it at the best of our capabiilities."

Hari widened his eyes in surprise. What was THAT all about? They never had any experience with drawing and writing manga until then, how could they expect to do an halfway decent job of that? Still, Hikaru did not seem to mind about that, and quickly rose from her seat to grab Ruri's pale hand in hers, comical streams of tears running down her bespectacled face.

"Oh, thanks, Ruri-ruri, you're a life saver!" the young manga artist squealed. "I was running myself dry trying to keep up with all those deadlines and stuff... anyway, Ruri-ruri, you and Mr. Saburouta can work at the drawings and the colouring... and Hari, over there, can take care of the telephone and answer all the calls I'm given! Please, if anyone asks for me, tell them I'm kinda sick and I cannot come to answer myself! And please, do not remove the sound-only feature from the telephone..."

As Hikaru began to list a series of jobs she was going to entrust to her unexpected guests, Hari widened his eyes in surprise... then he sighed and shook his head. What on Earth had they gotten themselves into?

"As I said... wouldn't it have been simpler to just go after the Martian Successors ourselves?"

**oooooooooo**

The harping of a badly-played ukulele assaulted Fiona's ears as she, Mitsuko and Lahge sat down at a table, in a crowded bar in the old Shibuya district. The music was completely off key, cacophonic and random - how was it that anyone could make a living out of playing such crap?

"Say, Lahge... I'm totally okay with going to strange places to find the old Nadesico crew... but why do we have to endure this crap?" she murmured annoyedly, rubbing her forehead in an attempt to dull out the headache she was feeling. "Man, if I knew this Izumi Maki girl was that bad a musician, I would have brought my headphones with me to drown this noise out!"

"True as that may be," Lahge answered calmly, taking a sip from his glass of water even as he winced for another really bad mistake on the ukulele player's side. "Maki Izumi's quirkiness has never stopped her from being a competent pilot and marksman. There is a reason why she has been selected for the Nadesico A's all-female team, after all." He then glanced at the figure playing the ukulele on the large bar's stage: Izumi Maki, the owner of the premises, was a tall woman with pale skin and long, flowing dark green hair, a fringe of which was neatly falling on her right eye, partially obscuring her face. She was dressed in an elegant white Chinese dress with matching high-heeled shoes, and while she looked beautiful and charming, there was something vaguely disturbing about her appearence...

"Excuse me, gentlemen... are you acquaintances of miss Maki Izumi, perhaps?" a bartender asked Fiona, Mitsuko and Lahge as he approached their seats, serving them three glasses of ice-cold peach-flavored tea.

"Not exactly..." Lahge answered, as he produced a Nergal badge. "But we do come from Nergal in order to discuss important matters with miss Maki. I take it you know she was once part of the Nadesico crew, right?"

"Hm? Er... yes, that's common knowledge around here..." the bartended answered. "She was part of a squadron of three female pilots who distinguished themselves during the Earth-Jupiter war. Is this... about the recent incidents on the Hisago Plan colonies?"

"Exactly. Miss Maki's piloting skills will be needed once more." Mitsuko said, after taking a sip of her tea. Not very good tea. She made a grimace. "Er... anyway, do you think it would be possible for us to meet with Miss Maki and discuss the matter further?"

"Most certainly." the guy answered. "At the moment, as you've probably already seen, she is unable to meet with you, but if you can just wait until the end of the show, I think she will be glad to listen to your proposal."

"Thanks, we appreciate it." Fiona answered, as the bartender bowed and walked away, leaving the trio to their mediocre ice tea and to Izumi's even less laudable singing, punctuated by an incredibly lame pun here and there...

"Oh, dear... the things we have to do for those Nergal guys..." Fiona muttered to herself, unknowingly echoing Hari's thoughts.

**oooooooooo**

_"I am Ruri Hoshino. Computer operator. Eleven years old." the younger Ruri said, standing against a backdrop of pure darkness as she introduced herself to the smiling, cheerful faces of the old Nadesico crew... Minato... Megumi... Ryoko, Hikaru and Izumi... Jun..._

_"Pleased to meet you." everyone answered in turn, as their images split apart to show the smiling Akito Tenkawa and Yurika Misumaru, their hands extended towards her in a gesture of love and acceptance..._

_"Pleased to meet you as well, Ruri!"_

_"Really, you're so adorable!"_

_But those happy images lasted too little. A pair of gunshots rang out, and the images of both her adoptive parents disappeared, leaving Ruri to look in horror at the body of a young Nergal ensign, lying face down on the cold floor, surrounded by Gekiganger paraphernalia and by a widening pool of his own blood._

_Jiro Yamada... no, Gai Daigouji, the young ensign who had been mysteriously murdered at the beginning of the Nadesico's maiden voyage, and whose death had never beentruly clarified._

_And a few seconds later, Ruri saw his lifeless body turn into that of Tsukumo Shiratori, the Jovian officer who had tried to further peace talks with the Earth, only to be assassinated under Kusakabe's orders... under the orders of the same man who was now out there, surrounded by an army of fanatical followers, and ready to ruin the hard-earned peace..._

_A few glimpses of strange, disquieting vistas flashes through Ruri's mind, and soon enough she found herself talking with a shadowed woman, a blood-red sky in the background._

_"Boson Jumping is a specialized technology, based on what both the old EArth Union and the Jovian Federation discovered on Mars." the woman explained, with a clinical detachment that reminded Ruri of Inez Fressange, the Nadesico's chief scientist and Boson Jumping expert. "Those who will find and excavate the Ruins of Mars first will certainly use them more to enhance their own war effort than for technological innovations or such..."_

_Inez's image blurred... and before Ruri's very eyes, the horrific image of Yurika Misumaru turned into a lifeless stone statue appeared. Cracks immediately began appearing on the surface of her body... and soon enough, Yurika Misumaru shattered, her body turning into countless lifeless shards that fell into the everlasting darkness..._

**oooooooooo**

And that was when Ruri's eyes jerked open, a terrified gasp escaping her lips.

As she looked around, she felt at first weirded out in seeing that she was still in Hikaru's apartment, her head laying on a drawing table, and everyone else - Hikaru, Saburouta and Hari - soundly sleeping around her. She shook off the sleepiness, and rubbed her eyes before looking out of the windows, seeing that dawn was slowly coming. Had they been at work so hard that they had simply fallen asleep on the job without seeing that coming?

The young Nadesico B captain sighed. With everything that had happened in those days, she was starting to lose it...

**oooooooooo**

"Ta-daaaan! Here I am, Haruka!"

With these bold words, a red-brown haired teenager in a school uniform threw open the entrance door of the apartment she lived in together with her surrogate mother, and flashed a victory sign, while simultaneously giving a toothy grin. For the Jupiter-born Yukina Shiratori, this was a day of celebration, for a simple reason...

"Guess what? I got picked out of the school's junior club! Isn't this great news?" she exclaimed loudly... before she realized that there was no one to talk to! The house was empty, with everything properly ordered and cleared of all specks of dust... the only hint that someone might have been there was the videophone still beeping, with a message recorded in its memory.

"Haruka?" Yukina called out to her surrogate mother, former Nadesico helmswoman Minato Haruka. Having received no answer, Yukina walked to the phone's answering machine and activated it... and as soon as she did that, an image of Minato, her long light brown hair neatly combed on one side of her head, and her full lips tinted with bright red lipstick, appeared in front of her, her hands together and smiling in apology.

"_I'm sorry for not being home, Yukina. It appears something important is happening._" Minato's recorded message answered. "_I will be out for a few days, so please take care of yourself, okay?_" Minato ended the record by blowing a small kiss to the viewer, and Yukina frowned in suspicion. For Minato to go away like this, without even giving a warning, it must have really been something serious...

"What's with the kiss, anyway?" Yukina murmured to herself as she switched the answering machine off. "Well, it appears something fishy is going on... and I'm willing to bet it involves the old Nadesico crew. Don't you think so?"

The last part was said in a totally deadpan voice, as Yukina looked at her right, as if expecting to see an audience...

**oooooooooo**

"I have to say, Kusakabe's coup d'etat has taken everybody off guard... we were woefully unprepared for them." Admiral Kouichiro Misumaru said evenly, as he discussed the situation with a few fellow military higher-ups. "And unfortunately, they seem to be swelling their numbers. There are quite a few squadrons of both the Earth Federation and Jovian army who sympathize with Kusakabe and defected to the Martian Successors. Also, I don't know how much credit should be given to such rumours, but I've heard a few Neo Zeon and ZAFT soldiers have jumped ship to join the Martian Successors."

"That almost does not surprise me." Commander Akiyama answered calmly, as he took a sip from a glass of water. "After all, such terroristic uprisings do give off an air of being courageous and noble, don't you think so, Commander Aoi? What with all the simplicity and clarity..."

Jun Aoi's reaction was of complete denial, as it could probably be expected for a guy whose best friend and former crush was being made into a vegetable by a bunch of self-righteous fanatics. "This is not a joking matter, commander Akiyama!" he yelled out, losing most of his composure. "Those guys are a bunch of traitors and murderers who want to destroy us all! Something must be done to stop them, unless we want to be..."

A comm screen flickered into existance a second later in front of the young blue-haired commander, who prompty cut himself off and looked up in surprise. "_Commander Aoi, we have a call for you._" the female officer appearing on the screen said. "_We apologize for the disturbance, but it seems to be something urgent. Shall we patch her through?_"

Her? What was the officer talking about? Jun was quite pzzled by the whole deal, as he didn't think he would be receiving calls for the day... but still, he decided to answer the call. After all, what was the worst that could happen? "Er... okay, then... patch it through to me, I'll take care of it..."

He almost immediately regretted those words when the image in front of him changed into the beaming face of Yukina Shiratori, smiling happily at him! "Hey, Jun! What's up?" she cheerfully greeted him, causing the mild-mannered Neo Federation officer to almost topple in his chair. "Say, Jun... is Minato involved with something concerning Nergal and the Nadesico crew, by chance?"

"Wh... What?" Jun exclaimed, his hair almost standing on end. "I... I can't answer this question! These are classified informations! Military secrets! Do I make myself clear?"

Yukina's serene demeanor quickly left place to an angry scowl, and the comm screen almost doubled in size as it threateningly approached Jun's face! "HEY! Don't play dumb with me, now! I don't care if you're with Nergal or with the Neo Federation... but I know you and Minato are hiding something from me! Is that true, huh? I wanna know the truth!" she exclaimed. It was all too obvious that she was not going to take a no for an answer... and Jun grit his teeth and sweatdropped as he tried to think of a way out of this situation.

"For... for crying out loud, Yukina!" Jun exclaimed in desperation. For being the younger sister of a deceased Jovian hero, she sure could be immature... "I told you, it's classified! It's not like I can speak of such matters with a civilian!"

"Well, you did speak of 'such matters', as you put it, with Minato! So what's the difference, huh?" Yukina pointed out annoyedly, defeating Jun's flimsy excuse. A second later, her behaviour swiftly changed again, and the Jovian girl clasped her hans together in a begging gesture. "Awww, c'mon, Jun, you're the only one here I can count on! Tell me where Minato is, and I'll go out with you or do whatever you ask me to do! For real! I'll be yours!"

Jun's face turned a deep shade of crimson as he stood up from his chair and stumbled backwards, almost tripping over his own feet in the process. "Wh-wh-wh-WHAAAAT? You... you idiot! Just listen to what you're saying!" he stuttered, as the other officers present in the room began murmuring amongst themselves about the unusual situation.

"Commander Aoi is a capable person, but he's just too soft at times..." Kouichiro commented, to which Akiyama and the others could do nothing but nod.

"I agree." Akiyama whispered. "To let a teenager push him around..."

Jun Aoi immediately turned to them, pointing his index finger at them with an extremely flustered expression on his face! "You there! If you're talking about me, I can still hear you!" he shouted in his exasperation...

**oooooooooo**

The next day...

"So, that's pretty much the whole situation..." Mitsuko summed up. after swallowing a bite of Cantonese rice. "We have managed to find former pilot Izumi Maki... a bit of a nutcase, but I trust the reports about her piloting abilities. However, engineer Seiya Uribatake was absent... his family told us as much when we visited him."

"I see..." Hari answered. "Therefore, we have another great warrior deserting us, huh?"

Fiona and Ruri, along with their groups had rendez-vous at a familiar place, the Chinese restaurant belonging to Miss How Mei Wong, the Nadesico's chief cook, and were now discussing the results of their search, in front of warm Chinese dishes courtesy of the restaurant's owner. At least Ruri and her friends had managed to find Hikaru and Minato, but even so, the crew seemed quite understaffed for the job they were facing. And more to the point, Hari was still voicing his doubts about having to reunite the old Nadesico crew.

"Still, I keep having this doubt, captain..." he was saying at the moment. "Why is it so important to reunite the old crew? What would the problem be if we did the job ourselves? I mean, I understand needing more Aestivalis pilots, but I am the only one who can helm the ship correctly, and Saburouta can take care of the pilot leadership! Really, we're the best crew the Neo Federation can count on, and people who retired to their own civilian jobs have their own lives now! What's the important reason for reuniting the has-beens?"

"Hari, that will be enough." Saburouta intervened, having had enough of the young boy's lamentations.

However, Hari was not about to give up then, and as Ruri was finishing her own ramen dish, he reiterated his question. "Please, Captain... you have to tell me!" he pleaded... to whicch Ruri simply set her now-empty dish down and ordered another one!

"Please, Miss How Mei... may I have another one?"

Hari had had enough of that, and after standing up from his seat with such vehemence that Fiona jumped up from her place. "Captain, you idiot!" he yelled indignantly before storming out of the restaurant and in the street, among a crowd of people looking at him as if he had just sprung out of the earth. Even Saburouta and Fiona's friend followed him for a while, concerned about him.

"Hey, Hari! Where are you going?" Saburouta exclaimed, before taking a look at the chair he had knocked out in the process of running away. "I can't believe he managed not to hurt himself..."

"Captain, are you sure you shouldn't follow him and call him back?" Fiona asked, somewhat annoyed at seeing Ruri still seated at her place, as if nothing had happened. "He looked... quite upset at your refusal to answer. And if I have to be completely frank, I think you've been neglecting him as of late."

"Fiona, please!" Lahge tried to hush her. "That's not exactly something we should intrude into..."

"It will be alright." Ruri interjected. "After all, we cannot defeat our enemies simply by ourselves. I am sure he understands that... he just needs some time to ponder it."

Mitsuko frowned, somewhat put off by Ruri's attitude... but before Fiona or one of her crew could speak again, How Mei beat them to it.

"Actually, just because we understand that something is true, that does not mean we automatically accept it... after all, we're still human beings." she said, emerging from the kitchen with two full plates of ramen in her hands. How Mei was a thirty-something Chinese woman with dark brown hair tied in a bun behind her head, and dressed in typical kitchen garb, with a white coat and a cook's hat, and since her days as the chief cook onboard the Nadesico, she had always been considered a bit like a mother to all the young crewmembers. Even then, after three years of separation, she was ready to give out solid advice.

This time, Ruri actually did look a bit concerned, and turned her head to How Mei as if to ask what she meant by that. To which, almost as if How Mei could read the albino girl's mind, the Chinese cook smiled and went on. "It's only natural that he's jealous. Of both the old crew and the old Nadesico. So... I guess that maybe it wouldn't hurt to talk to him about this problem."

Ruri blinked in wonder, as Fiona crossed her arms and smiled, nodding sagely to herself. How Mei sure knew how to read people's feelings and advise them for the best.

"I happen to agree with miss How Mei..." Fiona commented. "Please, captain, go talk to Hari. I think he needs to hear that from you, after all."

**oooooooooo**

"Sigh... captain, you're an idiot..." Hari murmured dejectedly for the umpteenth time that day, as he walked through an indifferent crowd. He was beginning to feel bad about that outburst, a few minutes earlier... that was really uncalled for, he had to admit, but at the same time, he was feeling so frustrated at the time, that he still didn't have the will to just come down and apologize to Ruri.

"Well, an idiot she may be, but it's not like I'm much better... I'm afraid I overdid it, back there..." he repriminded himself. "Gah, what should I do now? And I've even left them with my bill to pay..."

As the young boy paced around in a funk, narrowly avoiding the people walking all around him, he suddently came to an halt as he slammed into a tall, beautiful woman with long, light brown hair who, as far as he was concerned, had pretty much popped up out of nowhere in the middle of the way. Unfortunately for him, the woman was so much taller than Hari that the black-haired boy ended up with his face right in-between two typical parts of the female anatomy, and his whole body ended up blushing a crimson red as the woman in question stood there with a surprised look on her face!

"Oh my," the woman murmured, almost dropping the two bags of grocieries she was holding in surprise. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going... you alright?"

After a few moments of embarassed silence - and risking death by nose hemorraging - Hari managed to dislodge himself from the woman's chest and, his eyes wide in alarm, he looked up at her, apologizing profusedly! "Ack! I... I... I am deeply sorry, ma'am! I... I wasn't looking as well, and I was thinking of other things... really, I haven't done it on purpouse, I swear!" he shouted in near-panic, flailing his arms about!

Instead of getting angry at him, though, the woman smiled kindly, and Hari was able to see her appearence a little better: rather tall for a Japanese woman, she had large, beautiful blue eyes, and lips tinted with a bright red lipstick, giving her an almost motherly look as she looked down at the boy with concern. "There's no need to apologize, really... are you okay, by the way? You look a little troubled to me, if you don't mind my saying so." she said, as Hari was still doubled over in an apologetic bow. "Hehee... you know, I was kinda lost, and I wanted to ask if you could point me in the right direction, but I guess you're not in the right mood for that, right?"

"Huh?" Hari murmured, still unsure what to make of the woman in front of him. Then, deciding that it would be better to be a gentleman, he quickly shook himself out of his stupor and grabbed one of the bags the lady was carrying, trying to help her out. "That's... that's not the case, ma'am, really! I... er... I am an official of the Neo Federation Space Navy, after all! I know this place like the back of my hand!" he exclaimed, doing his best to carry the incredibly heavy bag. "So... er... please tell me... ugh... where do you want to... go...?"

"Oh dear... there's no need to do that, really..." the chestnut-haired woman tried to stop Hari from overexerting himself, but seeing that the boy had already made p his mind to help her at all costs, she deciding to drop the subject and answer his question. "Okay then... there's this Chinese restaurant I needed to meet some friends at... it's called "Everyday's Calm", do you know about it?"

Hari nearly dropped the groceries in shock. As luck would have it, that was exactly the restaurant he had run away from, and he still wasn't in much of a mood to return there... "Er..." he started to answer, completely unsure of what to say at that point. "Well... it's just that... ugh... actually, yes, I know the place, but I'm afraid that, if I go back there, I won't be welcome at all..."

The young woman saw the boy almost slumping down in defeat and hang his head down in dejection, and thought she might as well help him out on that. After remaining there for a few moment, pondering about what she should do, she reached forward and lightly placed her hand on Hari's shoulder, which caused him to stiffen again in tension. "Er... sorry about that, I didn't know... but still... if there's anything that's bothering you, maybe... you wanna go somewhere else and tell me about it? Maybe you'll feel better afterwards..."

"Ma'am?" Hari asked, turning to the unknown woman, and once again seeing her smiling, helpful face...

**oooooooooo**

The cold hard truth was, Hari wanted to talk about his problem about ten times as much as the unknown woman, who had introduced herself as Minato Haruka, and was apparently a member of the old Nadesico crew, wanted to hear about it. The two of them had found a rather good place to talk, and were now sitting on a bench, under a large oak tree in a park... and Hari, after struggling a little with the notion that Minato was one of the old Nadesico crew, had fund himself almost mesmerized by the young woman's kindness and had told her what his problem was.

"See? Isn't it much better now that've taken this weight off your heart?" Minato exclaimed cheerful, winking and clasping her hands together.

Hari smiled and ran a hand through his short black hair. "Yeah, much better... thanks for hearing me out, Miss Haruka, it really meant a lot to me." he thanked.

Minato waved a hand in front of her face. "No need to thank me, really... anyone who's friends with lil' Ruri is also a friend of mine, after all!" she explained. "But, you know, it's not true that Ruri doesn't care about you. See, every time she sent an e-mail or a letter to me, she always mentioned your name and how good you are at your job. She really seems to hold you in high esteem, you know?"

Hari's eyes widened in surprise. Was that really so? Was Ruri... the Captain... really that appreciative of his skills? And here he thought she considered him as nothing more than another member of the crew... "Miss Haruka... you really mean that?" he asked incredulously.

Minato nodded sagely. "Yes, she was always writing things like... '_I have a younger brother now_', or '_he's quite like me, yet different in so many ways_'... or even '_he's a brilliant guy with a good demeanor_'. You know, Ruri is not the kind of girl to give praises freely, so that means you really impressed her! Oh, and by the way... look who's coming! There's another one I don't know, but that girl... looks like lil' Ruri to me!"

In fact, when the surprised Hari raised his head to see who was coming, he saw that both Fiona and Ruri had come to fetch him, and were now approaching him and Minato. Silently, Ruri and Fiona walked up to Hari and Minato, and the albino girl, keeping her face neutral, extended a hand towards her friend. "We need to be back soon, Hari." she said. "Our rendez-vous with the rest of the crew is in an hour."

"You know, Hari, you're pretty good at hiding yourself... we spent the good part of the last two hours looking around everywhere for you!" Fiona said with a slight laugh. "You ought to have been a secret agent or something!"

Hari finally managed to smile and gently took Ruri's hands, standing up with a little help from her. "Yes, Captain... you're right! Thank you!"

"I need to apologize as well." Ruri explained. "I have been too dismissive of you, recently. I did not realize I was hurting you, and for that, I need to ask for your pardon."

Hari did a salute. "That... that will not be necessary, Captain! I... I blew the problem out of proportion, and began acting foolishly!" he said, smiling. "I shouldn't have done that... there are far more important things to worry about, right now!"

"Indeed there are..." Ruri answered, before turning to Minato and greeting her with a slight bow. "It has been some time since we last saw each other, Haruka."

Her eyes almost trembling with emotion, Minato stood up and bowed respectfully to Ruri, resisting her urge to simply walk up to the white-haired girl and hug her in joy. "Yes... yes, it has, lil' Ruri! I'm so glad to see you, after all this time!" she exclaimed. "I see you're doing well, after all... oh, and who's this nice young lady with you? I don't seem to recall ever seeing her..."

Obviously, she was talking about Fiona, who was standing a little farther from the rest and was watching them greet each other with a slight smile on her face. As soon as Minato spoke about her, the red-haired pilot stood on attention and introduced herself. "Oh... sorry about that, where are my manners?" she exclaimed. "My name is Fiona Grayden, I'm nineteen years old, and I'm a test pilot currently serving under Nergal Heavy Industries and, by extention, the Neo Earth Federation army."

"Really?" Minato asked in wonder. "So, you're not really military, right?"

"Yeah... it's a bit of a long story as to how I ended up working with the Nadesico..." Fiona answered, rubbing the back of her head with a slight smile. "Fact is, it was a bit of a chance encounter, and I ended up fighting on their side after they helped me and my friends out. Anyway, miss Haruka, I hope you're ready to get back onboard the Nadesico... you guys will have to contend with an old acquaintance of yours..."

Minato's demeanor took a dive, and her sweet, motherly expression became grim and resolute. "I know... I was told about it... it's Haruki Kusakabe, isn't it? If there is one person in all the universe I hate with all of my heart and soul, that would be him." she said, old pain speaking for her. She could never forget how, three years earlier, Kusakabe had ordered Tsukumo Shiratori, the man she had fallen in love with, shot to death... "I... I would like to be part of this mission as well, if only to thank Akito and Yurika of what they did for me... and to help Ruri find her parents."

Fiona and Ruri were sure Minato also burned with a deep desire to see her boyfriend's murdered face justice for his crimes, but they let old matters lie. Now was not the time to think about that... they needed to get ready for their mission, and prepare as well as they could for the crisis lying ahead...

**oooooooooo**

The next day, at the Yokohama Nergal Docks...

Hari Makibi took a deep breath and steadied himself for the task he was about to embark himself into, as he waited for theelevator to come and pick him up. This was, indeed, a dangerous endeavor... and yet, the captain had told him that he was the only one who could perform this mission at the moment, and he was not about to disappoint her, even afraid as he was. This was his chance to show that Ruri's trust in him was not misplaced, and he couldn't afford to fail this one.

The elevator's low, rumbling noise, which echoed almost mournfully in the empty corridor Hari was standing in, became more audible for a few seconds... and then came to a sudden halt, as the cabin descended and stopped in front of him. The gates opened slowly, revealing a couple of Nergal agents, a man and a woman, dressed in black suits, who immediately stood on attention as soon as the young officer was in their sights.

"Vice-Captain Hari Makibi, of the Neo Earth Federation forces." the man greeted, as Jun saluted himself. "We trust you are ready for this experiment. You have been warned of all the possible risks, right?"

"And I am willing to run these risks, else I would not be here." Hari answered, as the two agents stepped aside to allow him into the elevator. The woman nodded as soon as the young vice-captain was inside the cabin, and the elevator quickly began climbing the floors back up, only stopping as it reached what was marked as the 40th floor. When Hari and the Nergal agents stepped out of the cabin once again, they were faced with a long corridor eventually winding up into a large room filled with complex-looking machinery, with several sciientists and researchers clad in white all frantically working at the controls. In the middle of the large room, Hari could see a deep semispherical hole whose walls were etched with strange jagged lines, that probably wouldn't have made much sense to the casual onlooker. However, for someone like him who had at least an inkling of Bosom Jump technology, they were far more important and significant than just that...

In a few minutes, Hari got ready for the experiment, donning an heavy-looking suit similar to that of an astronaut, which covered his entire body, shielding his face with a thick transparent plate. The young boy was now standing in the middle of the large hole, a few cables connected to his suit, and the light around him dimming all of a sudden.

"Er... I understand that you need to take all precautions and all that... but what's this suit for?" the young vice-captain asked. "I mean, I feel like I was a marionette..."

The lead scientist, who was sitting at the main console about two metres above Hari, right at the border of the spherical hole, chuckled in amusement. "Well, that's necessary to monitor your physical and psychological condition, vice-captain." he answered. "A Boson Jump pushes a person's body to extremes, so we need to keep constant watch over you in all phases of the experiment. Please, stay calm, and try to cooperate at all times."

"Alright." Hari answered, though he privately felt very afraid.

Great, now that was conforting, Hari thought to himself with a shiver. However, he tried to will those thoughts away, and concentrate on his duty... and that was when another person, garbed in a similar suit but whose features were unmistakeably feminine, stepped into the hole herself and reached Hari.

"The navigator has entered the Boson Jump circle."

"Initiate activation of crystals."

As the scientists began saying things Hari didn't really know how to make sense of, the woman who had entered the circle along with him extended her hand, and the boy gladly shook on it. At least, the partner he had been given for this experiment seemed to be nice enough...

"Pleased to meet you, miss... my name is Hari Makibi." he introduced himself, as he managed to take a good look at the other woman's face, even behind her helmet. She appeared to be still rather young, with a calm face and smooth blond hair... but apart from that, Hari couldn't see much, as even the woman's eyes were obscured by a black visor she was wearing. She did look kinda familiar, though...

"Pleased to meet you as well, Hari." she greeted, shaking his hand back. "Is this the first time you're attempting a Boson Jump?" When Hari nodded nervously, the woman went on. "I thought as much. That's why I'm here, to aid you in the visualization of the final destination. Just close your eyes and take a deep breath... then think of something amusing, or happy... or anything that might help you relax, really."

"Relax, huh? Alright..." Hari answered, closing his eyes and never letting go of the woman's hand. All around them, the Boson Jump circle had begun lighting up like a Christmas tree, and the scientists were once again frantically at work on their consoles...

"Activation of Tulip Crystals proceeding normally."

"Increasing levels of photons, gravitons and pi-mesones."

"Jumper and Navigator in synchronization, increasing Boson exchange."

The light emanating from the Boson Jump circle kept increasing, bathing the whole control room in a nimbus of golden light, as Hari and the woman accompanying him teleported away for an unknown destination...

**oooooooooo**

The graveyard just outside the center of Yokohama was a peaceful, almost dreary place where people came to pay respect to the dead... and, just as they used to do a lot in those last two years, Ruri Hoshino and Minato Haruka were there to pay respect to those they had lost. However, on that particular day, another figure was standing in front of the tombstone that supposedly marked the resting place of Akito and Yurika Misumaru... a tall, intimidating figure cloaked in a black dress, with dark brown and messy hair and a black, triangular visor obscuring his eyes. He looked cold, distant and almost alien as he glared at the tombstones... and though Ruri only remembered seeing him at the Amaterasu colony, she immediately recognized him, and while her face didn't show many signs of excitement, she did feel her heart beating faster after seeing him.

"A... Akito?" Minato murmured, recognizing him as well. She was greatly dismayed at seeing him like this - he looked so incredibly... different from the kind, idealistic boy she had seen during the Nadesico's maiden voyage, three years earlier... what had happened to him to make him change like that?

Wordlessly, Ruri and Akito approached each other and stood one in front of the other, looking at each other in the eyes, as if a silent conversation only they could hear was going on. Finally, when Minato began to think the silence was getting unbearable, Ruri broke it by speaking the first few tentative words.

"Today is the second anniversary." she said softly. "Many were the people who died or simply disappeared. But you, Akito... and captain Misumaru... you just came back from the dead. All A-class Boson Jumpers... navigators who could correctly arrive at any destination they had in mind. They all were kidnapped by the Martian Successors, right?"

"Kidnapped?" Minato gasped. Now a lot of things were becoming clear... all too horrifically clear, in fact.

Ruri ignored her and continued talking to Akito. "Akito... I have no idea what you went through in these last two years..."

"You don't want to know." Akito spoke sinisterly, his voice almost completely devoid of emotion.

"I don't wish to know that either, but I wanted to ask you this... why?" Ruri went on, now with an almost pained accent filtering into her voice. "Why haven't you told us you were still alive?"

The empty shell that had once been Akito Misumaru seemed to have no empathy at all. "There is no reason why I should tell you." he said... to which Minato, fed up with his indifference, walked up to him and slapped him in the face, leaving a red mark on his cheek. Akito remained stone-faced, though, as if he could not even be bothered with such a trivial thing.

"How can you say something like that to lil' Ruri?" Minato scolded him. "Weren't you the same person who, along with Captain Misumaru, wanted to adopt Ruri once the war with the Jupiterians was over? Apologize to Ruri now, Akito! Ruri was worried sick that you were dead!"

Akito's answer to that was completely unexpected: he took a gun from the inside of his jet-black coat and pointed it at Minato, startling the poor woman for a moment... before shifting his aim to Minato's left, to a place where there seemed to be absolutely nothing...

And just then, a tall, intimidating figure clad in the clothes of a Buddhist monk, with chilling mismatched eyes and a devilish smile on its face, simply warped into existence a few metres away from Akito and the girls, startling Minato with its threatening appearence. Behind him, six more individuals materialized, wearing similar dresses, and they placed themselves in an eeringly symmetrical formation behind their leader, effectively trapping Akito, Ruri and Minato. As Akito's gun pointed at the leader's face, the monster in human guise smirked even more widely, and spoke in a terrifying, unnatural voice.

"You were careless, Akito Tenkawa." Hokushin said, as it slowly advanced on its targets...

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Author's Note: Not much to say about this one other that... it's about time I updated! I'll try to make it as fast as possible, so be patient! Ciao for now!**


	12. The Ghost Of Gaizock

**SUPER ROBOT TAISEN S**

**Welcome back, at long last!**

**Yeah, I had kinda put this story on the backburner... between all the problem I had, and the fact that I could never find a way to get some inspiration for how to continue, this story kinda grinded to an halt, but now I'm back, and I'm willing to see it through to the end! I hope my readers can apologize my lack of updates... once again, I apologize, and I will make sure new updates come faster!**

**Last chapter, we have spent some time with the Nadesico crew as it slowly pulled themselves back together, with a little help from Fiona and her friends... but unfortunately, good things were not destined to last long, as the enemy, in the form of the Martian Successors' dreaded extermination squad, led by the mighty Hokushin, has zeroed in on Ruri's position, and are planning to do something really nasty! Knowing Kusakabe and his men, you can probably expect something about hooking people up to machines, and this kind of pleasant experiments...**

**Anyway, this chapter will deal with the struggle against the Martian Successors and their extermination squad... and we'll also get to follow the Char's Counterattack and SEED Destiny crews as they prepare for the upcoming battles! With Quess now on Char's side, the playing field tips even more dangerously on Char's side, but I wouldn't count Durandal out just yet. The guy is nothing if not resourceful, and he does know how to roll with unexpected events.**

**Anyway, expect a battle in the immediate future, as the Nadesico crew, along with one of their old acquaintances, rushed to rescue Akito and their friends. Furthermore, this will allow Fiona to get a long-awaited for rematch with Hokushin and his honorguards... will our heroine manage to give those monsters a run for their money?**

**Only one thing to do... keep reading, and let me know how you liked it!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 12 - The Ghost of Gaizock**

Asteroid of Sweetwater, one of the main Neo Zeon bases. At the moment, an important test was starting to take place just outside of a practice field, in the space surrounding the massive asteroid. A lone Yakt Doga, this one painted in red with a white faceplate and arm guards, was floating in space not too far from the practice field, and its pilot was feeling her heart beat faster as she thought that the man she admired more than anyone else in the world would be watching her test. It was very important for her to do well - if her performance had been satisfactory, she would soon become a pilot in Char Aznable's Neo Zeon, and that would be her best chance to allow the commander to realize his visionof a new and better world. A world where nobody would be alone like she had felt for her whole life...

A passing memory rose unbidden to her mind, causing her to glimpse, for just a second, an image of Hathaway Noah, the boy she had befriended on the shuttle. Quess frowned, then shook her head, trying to chase that memory away. She was not supposed to get sidetracked with that stupid, naive kid! She had her Colonel to think about... she needed to show him that he could count on her! She had to keep concentrated, and follow the Colonel's instructions to the best of her abilities. Taking a deep breath, the girl gripped her practice Yakt Doga's commands and stood ready, as a few dummy targets floated out of a nearby dock.

"_Quess, those are your targets._" Nanai Miguel's voice was heard from her communicators. Quess wrinkled her nose in displeasure - she didn't really know that woman, but the fact that she was always so close to Char didn't really sit well with her. "_Keep your mind clear, and use your Funnels to destroy them. You should be able to guide your Funnels thanks to your own brainwaves, and order them to shoot with your thoughts. Still, keep in mind that it might not be as immediate as you think._"

"Alright." Quess simply answered. A few dummy MS were now in front of her, spread out on a rather large area... Quess quickly visualized the targets and concentrated for a brief moment... and, answering to her brainwaves, a group of funnels detached for the Yakt Doga's shoulder binders and flew like bullets towards the training dummies, shooting a rain of laser beams which struck unerringly, puleverizing their targets! Needless to say, Quess was quite amazed by the fact that she was able to do that with no apparent effort... "This is amazing! I can remote-control those funnels with just my own brainwaves... so this is my Newtypes are so valued as pilots..."

Another wave of training dummies came out, and Quess, already energized by her first success, directed the remote-controlled guns towards the new targets, intending to make short work of them as well... while, in a control room not too far away from there, Char and Nanai were monitoring every single phase of the test. The Neo-Zeon commander had to say he was quite impressed with the results... apparently, Quess was a powerful enough Newtype to be able to control the Yakt Doga's funnels without needing further equipment for the scan of brainwaves... that was something one didn't see every day!

Nanai seemed to agree with the Neo-Zeon leader's thoughts. "I am convinced of it by now, Colonel... there's no doubt about it, Quess Paraya is a Newtype." she affirmed. "And a powerful one, at that... Colonel, do you think you'll put her in a real combat situation to see how she handles herself?"

"Most certainly, Nanai. Quess would be a tremendous asset to our war effort, if properly trained." Char answered. "Should she prove her worth, I already have a few plans for her... our engineers should havealmost completed the new Alpha Aziel mobile armor, and I'm sure Quess would be a great pilot for it."

"If you do say so, Colonel..." Nanai mused to herself, inwardly feeling an unwelcome twinge of jealousy as she thought of how much worth Char was placing upon that newcomer. It made her feel like she was an outsider... but she knew she couldn't think like that. Of course Char was only interested in that child because she was an asset to his plans and a great weapon to be used against his enemies... right?

**oooooooooo**

The situation was incredibly tense, as Akito, Ruri and Minato faced Hokushin and its minions, who were standing in a perfect formation in front of them. The leader's mismatched eyes were glaring hatefully at the trio of former Nadesico heroes, and a few concise words left its lips, in a threatening tone.

"You will come with us now." Hokushin spoke.

Akito's answer was to pull the trigger and fire three shots in rapid succession on the leader of the team of assassins... but, much to Minato's dismay, all the bullet bounced harmlessly on the monster's chest, deflected by a miniature Distortion Field surrounding Hokushin's body. His expression never faltering, Akito ceased his attack and raised his gun, advising the two women beside him to go on and save themselves.

"This is not a matter that concerns you." he said. "Run away."

Ruri and Minato didn't even budge, and while Minato was understandably terrified of the seven Martian Successor minions, Ruri calmly stood in her place. "I do not believe it is an option to run away, in such a situation." she stated matter-of-factly.

"W-well... I don't like the idea myself, but I have to agree with that..." Minato acknowledged. Undaunted, the assassins began slowly advancing on the trio of heroes, unsheating a set of vicious-looking wakizashi...

"Is that so? Then, we'll take you away by force." Hokushin stated, still smiling wickedly. "Cut off one of his limbs and bring him to the base."

"Acknowledge, leader Hokushin." one of the monk-like assassins whispered. "What about the woman and the child?"

"Slay the woman, but capture the electronic fairy alive." Hokushin instructed its underling. "She has the same golden eyes as Lapis... the eyes of a fairy created by human technology... Earth people seem to be crazy about tampering with genetics." Then, it raised its head and glared at Ruri, its blood-red left eye glistening with sadistic joy. "You, white fairy, will be a glorious experimental subject, as soon as we deliver you to leader Kusakabe. You will become the cornerstone upon which a new society based on absolute righteousness shall be founded!"

The thought of the horrible experiments the Martian Successors would have done to Ruri in case they got their hands on her disgusted Akito and Minato... but Ruri, after a barely noticeable moment of fear, simply narrowed her eyes and sustained Hokushin's nightmarish visage. "You are the ones, are you not?" she asked. "The ones who kidnapped all those A-class Jumpers all around the Earth Sphere."

"That is correct." Hokushin answered as it came closer and closer. It seemed to enjoy taking its time, just to let its enemies know how helpless they were. "We are the Six, the shadows of the Martian Successors. The devils who walk the path no one would tread upon."

"All for the glory of the new order!" the other assassins exclaimed in almost unnatural unison, their curved short swords raised and kept in front of them. They seemed to be about to dash at Akito and the two women for a decisive strike... but all of a sudden, the deafening sound of thrusters covered their voices, and as everyone raised their heads, a few familiar robots appeared from the skies! Four Aestivalis, each of them sporting a different, brilliant colour, were flying in perfect formation over the graveyard: red, orange, green and blue... there were no doubts, they were obviously the Aestivalis belonging to Ryoko, Hikaru, Izumi and, of course, Lt. Saburouta! Following them was Fiona's Excellence S, its steps shaking the ground and its claw-like right arm raised up in the air, in a threatening gesture... but there was another robot which none of them recognized, that at he moment was flying beside the Aestivalis units... a white robot just a little taller than an Aestivalis, its arms ending in hands armed with wicked claws, large shoulder pads and black highlights on its forearms, groin and ankles. Akito and the two girls with him were pretty sure that was the robot from where the laughter had come from... and it was a somewhat familiar voice too...

"To hear you speak of a new order is quite ludicrous." the white robot's pilot exclaimed, in a clear, loud male voice. "The truth is, a new order only comes after destruction and chaos. It is only natural that birth entails pain... but Kusakabe has no morals. His new order has no right to be."

"W-what?" Minato asked herself, amazed to see how quickly their friends had come to throw some mud in the Six's plans. "Where did they all come from? And... what's with that white robot, and who's piloting it?"

"Let's just say that we got ourselves an unexpected helping hand!" Fiona's voice blared from her Excellence-S's speakers. "A former soldier of the Jovian Empire who is now working for Nergal!"

Minato frowned slightly, still not too convinced, as the Aestivalis pilots descendend and aimed their weapons at the Six, immediately followed by the white robot. "Anyway, consider it luck that we managed to come here on time! We thought Ruri-chan could be running a few risks, so we asked her to carry her Nergal ID card with her at all times. Through that and Nergal's information network, we could know where you were, and intervene quickly if there was a problem... like now!" Ryoko explaied, before aiming her Rapid Rifle at Hokushin. "And now, you freaks, you've got two choices: either you leave this place, or we blast you to pieces!"

"In other words, either you cut it or we cut you." Izumi said. She then started giggling as if she had just said the most phenomenal joke ever, which caused Hikaru to sigh in defeat, and Ryoko to put an hand to her forehead in exasperation. Throwing bad puns around was an habit Izumi had never grown out of...

Fiona herself suppressed a chuckle at Izumi's wordplay, and aimed her Excellence-S's clawed arm to the Six and their leader. "Anyway, that's the ticket! We're not going to let you take Akito, Ruri-chan or Minato! Leave, or we won't show any mercy!"

However, Hokushin did not seem fazed in the least by all these threats. Instead, it kept glaring at the white robot with a smug air of superiority... and when it was low enough on the ground, it smirked and addressed the pilot by his name. "Genichiro Tsukuomi... so much time went by. How amusing, to once again see the traitor who abandoned our noble cause!" it stated, startling Minato to no end. Genichiro Tsukuomi was a former commander for the Jupiter Empire army, and the one who, under Kusakabe's orders, had shot to death Tsukumo Shiratori, Jupiter's ambassador for peace and Minato's boyfriend at the time.

Inside the white robot's cockpit, Genichiro Tsukuomi, an handsome man in his early twenties, with long, flowing black hair kept in a somewhat Chinese-looking hairstyle, and slit-like brown eyes, dressed in a pure white military uniform, smiled bitterly at Hokushin's words. "That is true... I am a man who betrayed his friend and his home country, and as of now I am nothing but a dog for Nergal. However, that might be most unfortunate for you."

"This place is reserved for the dead, and for their eternal rest!" Fiona challenged Hokushin. "Go away without causing trouble."

Unfortunately, the intimation fell on deaf ears, as Hokushin gave another one of its atrocious smirks... just one second before it and its man teleported away in a flash! Fiona's eyes widened at that, and she began looking around in an attempt to find where the Six and their leader had disappeared to. "What? Where... where have they gone? They... they just disappeared, like that!"

"Boson Jump, remember." Ryoko reminded her. "Now that they've got Yurika, these guys can jump wherever they want, whenever they want! And I would not be surprised if they had their robots around here!"

As if the heavens had heard her, a rumbling noise caused the ground to shake... and a few trees from the surrounding pine forest were brought down as Hokushin's Yatenkou and its minions' Shishikis rose from there, hovering menacingly in the air, and causing all of the members of the rescue team to turn in that direction, in an attempt to fend off the surprise attack! Fiona grit her teeth as he clenched her hands on her console... that was the moment to see if the strategy se had worked out would be effective against those freaks.

"In that case, Hokushin... Hell shall be your new residence!" Genichiro stated, as his white robot unsheated its claws. "This Alstroemeria shall be your guide."

"Is that so?" the Six's leader smirked. "Reppu!"

The assassin named Reppu dove forward and tried to impale Genichiro's Alstroemeria on the tip of its staff... but, with a speed and an agility no-one would think possible of the white robot, the Alstroemeria easily side-stepped the blow and grabbed the attacking Shishiki's face in the palm of its hand, before violently tossing it away, causing it to describe a perfect arc in the air!

"Whoa! Talk about a spectacular style!" Fiona exclaimed in wide-eyed wonder.

"This is Jovian-style yawara." Genichiro explained, as most of the bystanders looked at him in absolute awe. "No sword of perversity can prevail against my flexibility."

As Reppu's Shishiki somehow regain stability in mid-air, the Yatenkou and the other Shishikis gained altitude, and the leader of the Six grunted in annoyance. "Hmph... the style of a traitor cannot prevail against our swords. Everyone, get them!"

The Shishiki pilots dashed forward to attack, with the Aestivalis girls and Saburouta greeting them with a steady shower of bullets which forced the strange Martian Successor robots on the defensive, expanding their Distortion Field to take all their fire. Two of the small robots sped towards Fiona and Genichiro, while the Yatenkou quickly entered the fray to engage Ryoko, Hikaru and Izumi in hand-to-hand combat. Immediately, the Excellence-S and Genichiro's Alstroemeria assumed a combat stance and stood ready to counter. Fiona, recognizing that her unit's steady speed could never stand up to the agile Shishiki, opted to take a few steps back and defend herself with her clawed arm, blocking the enemy's staff thrusts.

This strategy managed to throw her opponent off the loop somewhat, as now the Shishiki was having trouble finding holes in the Excellence-S's stance, and was vainly trying to impale the mighty robot with its staff... but Fiona, making good use of the strategy she had elaborated earlier, skillfully avoided all attacks and responded with quick, distracting thrusts with her robot's arm, until finally the Shishiki pilot could wait no more. In an attempt to finish off his opponent quickly, the assassin slipped through a mighty roundhouse blow for the Excellence's claw arm, and struck the red robot in the chest, causing it to flinch and lose balance for a moment. Taking advantage of that, the Shishiki flew upwards, expecting Fiona to aim towards him and shoot... but, somewhat to his surprise, the red-haired girl stood in her place, never letting herself drop her guard. What's more, she actually retreated a few steps, resuming the defensive stance she had been taking throughout the whole fight. The assassin growled in rage, but there wasn't much he could do about it... and even his colleagues were having their hands full with the Aestivalis and Genichiro's Alstroemeria, so they could not be any help.

"Curse you..." the Shishiki pilot spat. "You're done for, girl!"

With an enraged howl, the Martian Successor assassin Boson Jumped behind the Excellence-S and swooped down, his Shishiki's right fist blazing with Distortion Field and ready to strike down the Excellence-S, as Fiona stood her ground and got ready to receive the attack. The Shishiki had already sped up to a mind-boggingly high speed, looking more like a shooting star than a robot, and it appeared that Fiona and her heavier, slower robot stood no chance of withstanding such a mighty blow...

In her cockpit, though, Fiona smiled thinly. Her defensive strategy had worked just as she had expected... and now, it was the Martian Successor's turn to be caught off guard!

"YOU are done for, scum!" Fiona exclaimed, as she quickly moved to turn around and intercept her opponent's attack. "Take this!"

Fiona pressed a series of buttons on her interface, and the Excellence-S swiftly raised its bigger arm, its huge clawed fingers opening up like an hungry maw and lighting up with a blazing golden aura as the Shishiki got closer and closer. Before the Martian Successor could strike, the clawed fingers closed upon his Shishiki's armor, piercing the Distortion Field and catching the opponent in a deadly grip, which Fiona proceeded to further strengthen. Blazing sparks of electricity erupted from the Shishiki's armor, as the small and frail robot was not strong enough to resist such pressure...

"Aaaargh!" the member of the Six screamed. "Damn you... what are you trying to..."

"Looks like the tables have turned, this time!" Fiona exclaimed. "Sorry, but I did learn something from my first battle with you guys, and I'm not about to make the same mistake twice! And now... prepare yourself! **Gigant Crusher!**"

Fiona raised the Excellence-S's output to the maximum and shot forward, keeping the Shishiki pressed in her claw as a bright golden light began to shine from the red robot's fingers, a deafening roaring sound accompanying the Excellence's mad dash! Then, with a warlike yell, Fiona made her robot jump, holding the captured Shishiki in the huge claw... and dove down towards the ground, holding the Shishiki in front of herself in order to cause it to crash! The member of the Six cursed, yelled and tried to force its robot to move, but there was nothing it could do.

"C-curse you... curse you!" the assassin yelled. "You cannot do this! True righteousness cannot be... denied... AAAAARGH!"

Its ramblings were cut short as the Excellence-S landed, and Fiona swung the gigantic claw around, smashing the fragile Shishiki on the cold, unfforgiving ground! The small robot could not withstand the terrifying impact, and its structure immediately broke down, causing the Martian Successor machine to detonate, along with its insane pilot, in the Excellence-S's claw! Almost everyone turned their amazed eyes to Fiona and her robot as the Shishiki went up in a ball of fire, its charred remains scattering all around... and soon after, the Excellence-S stood up, practically unscathed, and raised its claw again in a threatening gesture.

"Looks like you freaks need to have your name changed." Fiona stated, talking to the remaining members of the Six. "Does 'the Five' sound good to you? If it doesn't, I can give you a few more suggestions..."

"Ugh... damn you... that measly Earth girl killed Arashi!" another of the assassins muttered before charging at Genichiro's Alstroemeria with a maddened scream, thirsty for revenge! Unfortunately for him, in front of Genichiro's calm, methodical fighting technique, the brutality of the Martian Successors was useless, and the former Jovian commander swiftly evaded the attack before retaliating with a quick swipe of his white robot's claws, cutting off the Shishiki's arm in a brief shower of electrical sparks! The enraged Martian Successor retreated slightly, but tried again, this time attempting an overhead attack, but even that did not have better luck.

"I thought I already told you... blows coming from rage and hatred cannot overcome my technique." Genichiro said, evading the blow once again. In the proximities,, even the other surviving Six were having trouble withthe Aestivalis squad, and Hokushin's smug countenance was getting slightly marred, gradually turning in an annoyed frown. He had thought the battle would be easy enough, but that red robot and the unexpected arrival of the Alstroemeria had turned things around quite a bit... and now, Genichiro was effortlessly taking his opponent apart. Another Boson Jump attempt was countered, as the Alstroemeria turned around too quickly for the assassin to perform his attack. Two staff slashes were quickly countered by the Alstroemeria's lightning-fast claws... and one split-second later, Genichir's white robot closed the distance and plunged its claws deep in the Shishiki's cockpit, impaling the Martian Successor assassin, who expired in an unintelligible gurgle. Then, Genichiro scornfully kicked away the fatally damaged Shishiki, who exploded in midair before it could touch the ground.

Annoyed at the fact that its men were being done away with so easily, Hokushin decided that it was time to step into the fray, and its Yatenkou began moving towards the battle to engage the Excellence-S... but Ryoko and her friends, diverting their attention from their respective opponents for just a second, greeted the commander of the Six with a powerful hail of bullets that forced the monster in human guise to teleport away to avoid damage. Undaunted, Hokushin executed a nimble maneuver in mid-air and tried to gain some altitude and attack again, while Fiona, noticing the new danger, mentally braced herself for the attack. This time, she was not dealing with a two-bit thug... she was fighting an horrifically skilled killer with superhuman abilities!

"And yet... if I can take this guy out, the Martian Successors lose one of their greatest assets!" Fiona mumbled to herself. She was the Yatenkou stopping in midair and pointing its staff at her, ready to fire... but the attack never came, and Fiona blinked in confusion - was Hokushin trying to play some mind games with her?

The Aestivalis and the Alstroemeria broke contact with the remaining Shishiki units, now no more than four of them left, and turned towards the Yatenkou as well... but the red Martian Successor robot did not attack as expected, and for some strange reason, even the remaining members of the Six seemed to be somewhat afraid... which was quite remarkable, for a bunch of superhuman assassins!

"Huh? Why are they just... standing right there?" Hikaru asked herself in puzzlement. "It's like they're asking to get shot..."

"I have no idea, but we'd better be careful..." Saburouta said with a frown. "This has to be some sort of trick... Huh? Why are my radars catching a new signal coming from... from underneath the graveyard?"

"What?" Fiona asked in shock, right before the ground under the Excellence-S began shaking madly, as if an earthquake had just struck! Akito, Ruri and Minato, who until then had simply been watching the fight from the ground, inwardly impressed at Fiona and Genichiro's skills, got away to safety just in time, as a huge fissure opened up on the ground on which they had been standing, and a gargantuan, metallic monstrosity rose from who-knew-where to assault the flabbergasted Aestivalis team and the Excellence project test pilot, a deafening roar coming from its immense frame and grave dirt and tombstones scattered around like dust as they were being kicked in the air!

"What... what... what the Hell is that thing?" Fiona exclaimed, her self-control temporarily overwhelmed by the monster's sudden appearence: no less than sixty feet tall, it had a humanoid shape and was encased in a rather heavy-looking red battle armor... but it had countless thin steel tentacles, each one ending in a pincer-like claw, instead of a pair of arms, and its head and feet were reminescent of those of a demonic bird of prey, with a curved beak and light blue, pupilless eyes that shone cruelly in a face adorned with ruffled blood-red feathers! Not too far away from there, two more monstrosities of the same kind were emerging from the grund... and when Ryoko looked up, she swore under her breath as she saw a new kind of monster slowly descending upon them, casting an eerie shadow on the battlefield!

"No... no... dammit! This cannot be true!" Ryoko paled and muttered incoherently for a few seconds, apparently familiar with the sight of the floating beast - it looked like some demented cross between a jellyfish and a ghost, with a membranous bluish-green skin and a pair of thin tentacles slithering down its body from under a skirt-like membrane that made up pretty much all of its lower body. A monstrous face, perpetually contorted in an expression of murderous rage, occupied the upper part, from which a second, smaller body emerged, resembling some sort of vampire bat with overlarge ears, long crimson claws on each of its limbs, and a mouth filled with needle-like teeth, giving the thing an even more predatory look!

Fiona was not just amazed and terrified at the appearence of these new monsters... she was also asking herself where Ryoko and her friends had seen them before. "R... Ryoko, what's the matter?" the redhead spoke through her communicator. "And... and just what on Earth ARE these... these... things? They certainly don't look friendly!"

As if to emphasize her words, one of the bird-like monsters shot a barrage of missiles towards the Aestivalis group, who thankfully managed to dodge all of them before Ryoko answered Fiona's question in an enraged and at the same time sorrowful tone. "These... things... are called Mecha Bursts!" the former Lion Sickle commander shouted. "They are mechanical monsters created by an enemy we fought some three years ago... a monster who went by the name of Killer The Butcher!"

"And he was just as bad as the name implies!" Hikaru continued, almost in panic as she tried to dodge the attacks the newly-revealed Mecha Bursts were shooting at her. "We fought him alongside our allies, the Zambot Team... and we thought we had destroyed Butcher, even if Uchuuta and Keiko had to sacrifice their lives for that..."

"Apparently, someone here is still alive and punching..." Izumi murmured, taking aim towards the jellyfish-like horror and unleashing a hail of bullets. The monster was hit and reeled back, but quickly recovered and let out an ear-piercing scream that sent deadly soundwaves towards the green Aestivalis. Izumi managed to dodge the attack at the last second, before noticing that the Yatenkou and the Shishikis were Boson Jumping away, leaving them to fight their new battle.

"Tch... so the ghost of Gaizock is back..." Hokushin said. "We have no more business here! Retreat!"

With that, the Yatenkou disappeared, and the four Mecha Bursts began advancing ominously on the Aestivalis team, as Fiona quickly turned around and stood ready to fight the new menace...

"Dammit! I don't know the details, but I guess I'll have to ask later! For now, let's take out these things..." she murmured to herself, secretly hoping that those monsters did not have some forcefield of sorts - she had already had enough of Distortion Fields and the like...

**oooooooooo**

Meanwhile, on board the Ral Kairam...

"I never thought we could have fifteen more nuclear warheads available, other than the one present on Luna-2." Bright commented, as soon as he was finished reading the report Cameron Bloom had just handed to him, concerning the availability of tactical weaponry specific for breaking apart something as massive as Axis. "Are you sure we can make use of these, Mr. Bloom?"

"It's all old weaponry that was going to be shelfed in museums and the like... still, take care with them, as they are under the jurisdiction of the New Earth Federation." Cameron explained.

Amuro nodded. "We understand. Anyway, the important thing is, they can be used to break Axis apart, right?" he said. "We are in your debt, Mr. Bloom..."

Cameron chuckled briefly. "Don't mention it... I'm also doing this because I want Mirai to continue living on Earth!" he answered. "Rather the contrary, I should be the one thanking you and Terminal for what you're doing!"

Lacus Clyne, who was present to the discussion as well, bowed respectfully. "It is understandable... after all, you were her fiancee once, so it is only natural that you're worried about her." she commented, before turning to Bright. "By the way, Captain Bright Noa... news about the supposed surrender of the Neo Zeon forces to the New Earth Federation army are being broadcast on most Earth channels as we speak... should we take this as a warning that we should get ready to move?"

"Most certainly, Lady Lacus..." Bright answered. "Neo Zeon is only faking surrender, we cannot trust this deal the New Earth Federation has signed. Let's keep an eye out on that fleet, there could be trouble any moment now."

Lacus nodded. "Sure... I'll be going back to the Eternal now, let's keep in contact whenever there are news worth noticing." she answered. "Gentlemen, if you please..."

The Terminal leader bowed again and began heading back to the bridge of her own battleship, hoping that the new weapons and Mobile Suit they had just received would be sufficient to fight against the Neo Zeon / ZAFT alliance... and that the New Earth Federation wasn't going to take too heavy losses in what was obviously a trap...

**oooooooooo**

The New Earth Federation fleet about to escort the Neo Zeon fleet to their final destination was relieved to see that their hosts had been bang on time, and seemed to have respected all deals. It was a good way to get rid of a formidable opponent, and if that gave the Federation some breathing room to deal with ZAFT, that would be the ideal scenario!

"We have the Neo Zeon fleet on our radars, Ambassador Adenauer." a bridge operator said, as soon as several blips lit up on the radar. "The number of ships corresponds perfectly to the informations we have been given. Actually, there's one more than that."

Adenauer nodded, pleased with himself for making such a good call. It appeared that Terminal's worries were all about nothing, after all. "Hm. Char is an honest person, I knew he would honour our deal." he said. "Okay, now reduce speed and get ready to hail them."

"Mr. Adenauer... since one can never be too careful, shouldn't we send a few scouting units ahead, just in case this was a trap?" the ship's captain proposed. He looked like a seasoned commander, and he probably knew very well what he was talking about... and yet, Adenauer insisted in underestimating the danger.

"I'm against it! That would be a lack of respect towards Colonel Aznable!" he argued. "Now, let's begin. By the time we are done with it, we will have gained ourselves an invaluable advantage, and the tide of the war will turn against ZAFT."

"If that is what you wish..." the captain murmured, knowing that it was no use to argue with a man such as Adenauer Paraya. He had a feeling they were going to regret it soon, though... and as a few unarmed Mobile Suits left the ship's hangars to greet the supposed Neo Zeon fleet, he was starting to dread the possibility of a betrayal more and more...

A few minutes passed in silence, as the bridge crew waited for the formalities to begin... and all of a sudden, the calm was broken by a garbled message from one of the wingmen, his voice filled with alarm!

"_Captain! Something isn't right here!_" he exclaimed, startling everyone on the bridge. "_This is not the main Neo Zeon fleet! These ships are nothing but well-crafted dummies, and... AAAAAARGH!_"

The communication was abruptly cut short as an explosion suffocated it... and in a few horrific seconds, the crew of the New Earth Federation flagship realized the terrible situation they had walked in: a numerous group of Neo Zeon and ZAFT Mobile Suits swooped upon the defenceless Earth Federation fleet and started wreaking havoc upon it! Various types of Mobile Suits, from the cookie cutter Geara Dogas and Zaku Warriors, to the more specialized Yakt Dogas and Gouf Ignited, dropped upon the unsuspecting Federals, in a veritable inferno of beams and explosions! Lunamaria's Impulse Gundam and Rezun Schneider's customized blue Geara Doga were leading them, the two women cutting a swathe of destruction among the enemy.

"Strike them down! Quickly!" Rezun called to her wingmen. "Let none of them leave here alive!"

There was nothing the unarmed Earth Federation could do against such a superior enemy, and their Mobile Suits began getting shot down in rapid succession, as Adenauer and the bridge crew looked on in horror!

"What... what's the meaning of this?" Adenauer exclaimed, his previous confidence substituted by an immense fear for his life. "They're attacking us? This is impossible! This is a violation of the deal!"

"Neo Zeon never had any intention of holding up their part of the deal, Mr. Paraya!" the captain exclaimed. "We have to retreat while we can still hack it... Oh, no! Damn! We've got some Neo Zeon Mobile Suits coming from behind as well! Geara Doga and Yakt Doga models confirmed!"

"Wh... What?" Adenauer mouthed. A group of enemies, in fact, was approaching from behind at high speed... there was no time to evade them!

**oooooooooo**

Among the Neo Zeon fleet, two young Newtypes in customized Yakt Doga units were about to join the battle... and the more experienced of the two was instructing his new teammate on what to do and not to do during a real battle.

"Quess, you keep your distance and don't overdo it!" Gyunei exclaimed, briefly glancing at the red-and-white custom Yakt Doga piloted by Adenauer's own daughter. "This battle is just for you to experience a taste of real combat."

"Okay, Gyunei! I'll be careful!" Quess replied, as she watched Gyunei's black Yakt Doga deploy its funnels and shoot down several GM-3 Mobile Suits. A feeling of thrill and excitement washed over the young girl, as she pushed her Yakt Doga towards the main Federation fleet. "This is amazing... so, this is what a real battle feels like... huh? And just what is that huge ship doing, in a place like that? I'll shoot it down!"

Getting a glimpse of the New Earth Federation flagship, Quess let her excitement get the better of her and, disregarding Gyunei's earlier advice entirely, sped towards the largest ship in the Federation fleet, aiming her beam machine gun at it. There were no Mobile Suits to interpose between the Yakt Doga and its target... and even at that distance, a single shot to the main bridge would have spelled doom for everyone on board!

Once she was sure her aim was true, Quess squeezed the finger on her beam machine gun's trigger and unleashed a flurry of yellow laser beams upon the Federation ship...

And the last thing Adenauer Paraya saw before being vaporized along with his flagship was the Mobile Suit piloted by his own daughter bearing down upon him.

"_This cannot be... I don't want to die... I don't want to die..._"

An enormous fireball engulfed the bridge of the Earth Federation flagship, quickly consuming it in a veritable inferno, as Quess' Yakt Doga rapidly sped away, the girl cheering her victory in her ignorance of who her vicim really was. "Yay! I did it!" she exclaimed... just a second before a terrible sensation of nausea washed over her, forcing her to put an hand in front of her mouth and to double over in pain. "Ugh... what... what's going on? Why do I... feel so sick... all of a sudden? Ugh... help me... Colonel..."

Luckily for her, the embers of the flagship's explosion had not even died down when Gyunei's Yakt Doga came to her side, trying to sustain her, and the black-haired artificial Newtype grabbed her and tried to drag her out of the battle. "Quess, are you okay? Quess, answer me!"

"G-Gyunei... thank... you..." Quess murmured, her dreadful feeling beginning to subside already. "What happened... to me? I felt like... people were getting into my head..."

"That's because you rushed into combat, and you were unprepared for what you were about to do..." Gyunei explained. As an Artificial Newtype, he was immune to such unpleasant aftereffects, but he wasn't entirely sure whether this was a good thing or not... "Let's go back to the Rewloola, we have done our job here!"

Quess couldn't say anything else but nod in agreement...

**oooooooooo**

"_Colonel Nanai Miguel, we have reported a complete victory!_" Lunamaria's crisp voice reported over the Rewloola's communicator. "_We have destroyed the Federation fleet and we have taken possession of the nuclear warhead they were transporting. At this point, I guess we can safely say that Luna-2 is in our hands._"

Nanai nodded gratefully at the Impulse Gundam pilot's voice. "Very well... now our plan is halfway done! Let's retreat back to Axis and report to the Colonel..." she stated, pleased with the outcome of the attack.

**oooooooooo**

A Mecha Burst Domira's metal tentacles flailed against Genichiro's Alstroemeria, trying to wrap the white clawed robot in a deadly embrace, but the former Jovian commander countered by slashing the appendages apart, as his comrades aimed precise ranged attacks against the other monsters. So far, they had managed to stave off the attack, but the Mecha Bursts were nothing if not persistent, and despite the fact that they had taken quite a bit of damage, they still kept coming, harassing the Aestivalis squad and the Excellence-S.

"Dammit, don't they ever stop?" Fiona swore, after aiming a well-placed Prisma Beam at the nearest enemy. The beams bounced on the jellyfish-like Mecha Burst - whose name Fiona had caught as Garchaku from Hikaru's warnings and Izumi's puns - but they served their purpouse of delaying the monster long enough for Fiona to resume safety distance.

"These guys are programmed to fight to the death..." Saburouta answered. "We need to finish them off with a single blow. If only we could find a hole in their defense..."

"_Heheheheee... I'm afraid I can't let you do that, can I?_" a shrieky, high-pitched voice, filled with childish cruelty, interrupted the discussion as an even bigger shadow loomed on the devastated graveyard. With a frightened gasp, Saburouta looked up, just in time to see a gigantic spaceship soaring above their heads: somewhat spherical in shape, a yellow colour all over, it had four segmented legs, similar to those of an insect, jutting out from the sides, and its front looked like the head of a Shakkou statuine, with large inexpressive eyes and a mouth perpetually closed in what resembled a frown. It was gigantic, to the point where it dwarfed all the Mecha Bursts, and its sight caused Ryoko and the other girls to pale further.

"Ryoko! That battleship is..." Izumi exclaimed. "Isn't that the Bandock? I thought Kappei and the others had destroyed it!"

"_Hahahahaaa! Your memory serves you well, girlie!_" shrieked the unknown voice once again, as a comm window opened up on each pilot's console, showing Killer The Butcher's ugly, green-skinned, wart-ridden face. "_Hiya, everyone! Did you miss me? I know you did! After all, how could anyone forget about me, the great Killer The Butcher? And I see you humans are still at it, making war with one another!_"

"You bastard!" Ryoko practically roared. "How is this possible? How can you still be alive? We saw you die when Uchuuta and Keiko sacrificed themselves to blow up your mothership!"

"_Heheheee... you talking about the Zambot 3 twerps, right?_" Butcher answered. "_Well, truth be told, I did die right then... but I was resurrected by the mighty Lord Gaizock, and I was given a second chance! And I am not willing to louse that one up, either! First I'm going to kill you all... then, I think I'll send my Mecha Bursts to the nearest city and enjoy some good old-fashioned slaughter of humans! Yokohama, was it? It will be a glorious sight indeed! Hyahahahahaaaa!_"

Her teeth grit in anger and frustration, Ryoko pushed her Aestivalis towards the Bandock, determined to pus through the small Mecha Burst horde and finish off Butcher once and for all! "Damn you... you're not getting away, you monster!"

"Ryoko, wait!" Fiona tried calling out to her... but it was too late, and the battle had already resumed in earnest. Biting back a curse, Fiona gripped the Excellence-S's controls tight, and got ready to fight the new menace...

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Author's Note: You read that right, the Gaizock, the vicious exterminators that plagued Earth in Zambot 3, are back... and since this story takes place after the events of the anime, there is no Zambot 3 to hold them back, this time! It all falls on Fiona and the Nadesico team's shoulders. At least Fiona and Genichiro managed to take out two of the Six, which gives their side a slight advantage. They're going to need all the edge they can get...**

**Adenauer dies in this chapter, and while it was his daughter to unknowingly off him, I don't think any of my readers will mourn his passing. However, now that Neo Zeon and ZAFT have gotten their hands on Luna-2, their operations will go a lot more smoothly! Terminal has got a fight on their hands...**

**How will it go? Stay tuned, as I will try to update as soon as I can! **


	13. Fighting the Phantom

**SUPER ROBOT TAISEN S**

**I'm back for now! Sadly, I have to inform you that this will be the last update for a while - I'll be leaving for summer vacations soon enough, and I won't have access to my computer and my stories. So... just be patient and wait for me to be back, okay? I have a new timetable that should allow me to more efficiently update my stories, this one included. And faster as well.**

**Anyway, where were we the last time we followed Fiona and her friends? They were busy taking out a few Martian Successor douchebags last time we saw them... but sadly, an old enemy decided to come back from the dead just them and ruin their day: Killer the Butcher, the sadistic, bloodthirsty slimeball from Zambot 3, and his Mecha Burst killer robots. Apparently, they had been defeated in the past by another Super Robot, Zambot 3... but at the price of the lives of two of its pilots! And now, Fiona and the Nadesico crew are up against these guys by themselves, and they are already a little spent from fighting Hokushin and his six henchmen. Well, okay, make that four now, as Fiona killed one of them, and an old acquaintance of the Nadesico crew (Genichiro Tsukuomi, a former soldier of the Jovian Empire) took out another one. At least, one'd think this will give the Martian Successors something to think about...**

**And while our heroes are still struggling on Earth... in outer space, the forces of Terminal are still having their hands full with the Neo Zeon - ZAFT alliance. While its leaders are heading to a faceoff between each other, the two factions are still working together for now. One hopes that the newly-developed Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice will be enough to turn the tide of the battle... and possibly, to get a few people to see reason. I'm talking about you, Shinn, Lunamaria and Quess.**

**So... well, since you've probably been expecting this update for quite some time now, let's not waste any more time and dive once again in the marvelous world of heroics and epicness that is Super Robot Taisen! Happy reading, and please tell me what you think!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 13 - Fighting the Phantom**

What, up until a few moments before, had been a peaceful resting place for the departed had turned into a battlefield, as the hulking Mecha Burst advanced mindlessly towards their opponent, in their unstoppable determination to extinguish all forms of life unlucky enough to cross their path. Beams of energy and scorching balls of flame darted from one side to the other of the clearing, incinerating all they touched, as the Aestivalis units, Genichiro's Alstroemeria, and Fiona's Excellence-S all did their best to avoid the combined attacks of the mechanical monsters and the Bandock. They knew they were the only thing standing between the alien destroyers and thousands of helpless civilians. If the resurrected Gaizock had been able to get past them, the ensuing slaughter would have been one of horrific proportions!

"Dammit..." Fiona swore, using her Excellence-S's clawed arm to deflect a blow from one of the hulking Mecha Burst Domiras, before aiming a Prisma Beam at the mechanical horror's face. The beams of light scorched the enemy's beak, and staggered the Mecha Burst, buying the girl a few more precious seconds to regroup. "Say, Ryoko, who are these guys? When have you faced them? Can you tell us more about them?"

"Ugh... well, just know that these things are programmed to destroy every single form of life they come across! We'll tell you more later!" Ryoko exclaimed, as she narrowly dodged a claw swipe from an ooze-like Garchaku and got closer to her two friends. "Hikaru, Izumi, we gotta have to use the Buttercup Formation! You still remember how to do that, right?"

"Yaaay! I was just waiting for you to say that, Ryoko!" Hikaru cheered, firing her Aesti's Rapid Rifle against the Garchaku.

Izumi smirked sinisterly as she got ready to attack as well. "This will give those guys a nice cut, and things will get pretty hairy for them! Heheheee..." she snorted, never passing up the chance to whip out one of her infamous puns. Fiona sweatdropped at the older girl's banter, while Ryoko smacked her hand to her face in exasperation.

"Quit your clowning, Izumi, and concentrate! This thing won't give us a second chance!" Ryoko repriminded her teammate. "Alright, girls, in position!"

"Alright!" Hikaru exclaimed. The three Aesti units began flying in a tight formation, drawing circles in the air around the attacking Mecha Burst.

Izumi concentrated, taking aim with her Rapid Rifle... and then, both she and Hikaru let loose with a furious hail of bullets that peppered the jellyfish-like monster all over its boneless body, causing it to retreat slightly with a roar of pain and anger! It flailed wildly in the air, clawing at its surroundings in an attempt to escape the assault... but Ryoko was not about to let it get away! Smirking, the leader of the Nadesico pilots flew at breakneck speed towards the monster, intensifying the Distortion Field around her robot's right fist and then launching a fierce attack on the Garchaku!

"Got you!" she roared, plowing right through the Mecha Burst and punching a hole right through its body, destroying artificial tissues and engines, before emerging from the monster's back, a broken and bisected Garchaku floating in the air behind her for a few split seconds before exploding in a massive fireball! "Heh, that's one down! What's the matter with your robotic pets, Butcher? They seem to have gotten rusty with time!"

The hideous field commander of the Gaizock simply cackled in amusement, blowing some noxious smoke out of his disgusting maw. "Hyahahahaaa! What do I care about losing a Mecha Burst or two? I can always make more in a snap! You humans, on the other hand, aren't so easily replaceable, right? That's why I enjoy slaughtering you oh so very much! The bloodbath in celebration of my glorious return shall be a monumental one! Hyahahahahaaa!"

As he laughed, Butcher triggered a switch on the side of his throne... and his huge battleship stopped in midair for a split second and fired a row of ring-shaped lasers that spread over the battlefield, causing the Aestivalis team to scatter, and the Excellence-S to hide behind a building in order to soften the blow. Ryoko grit her teeth as she was forced to zigzag through the laser rings in order to avoid damage... but she yelped in surprise as a Mecha Burst Domira sneaked up from behind her and tried to swat her Aestivalis aside with one of its clawed hands! Hikaru and Izumi had gotten too far from her to be of any help...

"Ryoko, it's behind you!" Izumi warned. The tomboyish pilot snorted and grabbed her Immediate Knife to counter the robotic beast's attack... only to be cut short as Saburouta's Super Aestivalis dashed towards the monster and punched straight through its chest with a fist bathed in Distortion Field.

"Sorry to keep the lady waiting. Anybody ordered some Gaizock Fried Chicken?" the Jovian pilot joked... to which Ryoko simply shrugged with a smirk on her face.

"I would have taken this thing out myself... but thanks anyway!" she answered. As Saburouta retreated his Aesti's arm, Ryoko dealt the coup de grace to the mechanical monster, striking its neck with her Immediate Knife and almost decapitated the thing, which collapsed immediately and was engulfed in flames a second later. Another Domira tried to attack the Aestivalis team, but Genichiro and his Alstroemeria interfered, slicing through both of the monster's arms and crippling it, before finishing it off with a slice to the head. However, more of the mechannical monsters were advancing steadily against them...

"Well, I'm getting a piece of the action too!" Fiona exclaimed, coming out of her shelter to take on the Mecha Bursts. A third Domira noticed her and fired an eye beam towards the Excellence-S, causing Fiona to brake in order not to get hit... and when Hikaru tried to interfere by diving down on the monster, the domira responded by quickly turning around and backhanding her, sending her and her Aesti away with a surprised scream.

"You're really beginning to annoy me, you know?" Fiona growled. Her Excellence-S jumped into the air and came down with a vicious flying kick against the Domira, denting its armour and frying some of its circuits. The monster staggered backwards, blindly clawing at the air... then, it turned its head around and fired a volley of laser beams in all directions, which the Aestivalis team countered by expanding their Distortion Fields and neutering all shots. Finally, when the monster was off guard, Fiona charged, her claw-arm raised and wrapped in a shining aura of energy. "**Crusher Claw!**"

The thrust struck the Domira in its chest, ripping away a huge chunk of its armor and short-circuiting its vital areas. An explosion blew apart the monster's torso, and the Mecha Burst fell in a cloud of flames and black smoke, causing Fiona to grin in dark satisfaction before turning her attention to the Bandock...

"Hehehehehee... so you think you're tough just 'cuz you managed to take down some of my Mecha Bursts, huh? Then try this one for size!" Butcher chortled. The huge statue-like battlehip released a pair of missiles, each as big as a small plane, from both its sides, and sent them flying towards the Aestivalis team and the Excellence-S... and the pilots widened their eyes and desperately tried to get as far as possible from the place of the impact, but they weren't able to put enough distance between themselves and the Bandock before the missiles impacted and blew up in a monumental blast and a deafening explosion of noise, the shockwaves hitting the Aesti team and the Excellence-S and scattering them all around the scant remains of the cemetary. Fiona felt her body almost turn inside out as she was thrown around in her cockpit, even her safety belts failing to provide reasonable safety in such a situation. Finally, after what felt like an eternity to the red-haired girl, her flight stopped when the damaged Excellence-S slammed on the ground, and skidded upon it before coming to an halt. Despite the fact that she felt her head spinning, Fiona managed to force the Excellence-S back to its feet, and looked around herself to see if the Nadesico pilots and Genichiro were still alright. Luckily, none of them had been struck head-on by the blast, but the small robots had clearly been damaged, and there was no way they could hold out against a full-on assault by the Gaizock. They needed to find a way to retreat, or things would turn sour quite quickly...

"Hahahahahaaaa! This is it! This is what I love to see!" Butcher cheered, jumping up and down on his seat like an overexcited child. "That's the look I wanna see on you miserable humans' faces! The look of helplessness and despair as your life slowly drains away! Now, get on your knees and beg for forgiveness... and my mighty Lord Gaizock might just absolve you of your sins and give you a quick and almost painless death! Uwahahahahaaaaa!"

His laughter was cut short as an energy beam from Saburouta's Super Aestivalis pierced the barrier around the Bandock and struck the gigantic battleship in one of its eyes, causing a small explosion and shaking Butcher around in his chair, which caused the Gaizock commander to yelp in surprise and hold tightly in order not to be thrown on the floor. With a smug smile, the Jovian pilot aimed his railgun at the Bandock's other eye, preparing to open fire again.

"Anyone ever told you that you gloat too much, Butcher?" he asked rhetorically. Butcher grit his teeth, the young pilot's gall getting under his warty skin...

But before he could do anything to smite the Super Aestivalis pilot for his arrogance, the Bandock was hammered by a volley of missiles coming from its side, which actually caused Butcher to lose his hold and threw him, battered and ignoble, on the cold hard floor below! Choking back a curse, the monster quickly stood up... just in time to see the Nadesico-B flying towards him, joined by a familiar black robot that Fiona and Ryoko immediately recognized as the Black Serena, the robot Akito had piloted during the hectic assault on Amaterasu!

"Yay! Looks like we're getting reinforcements as well!" Fiona cheered.

"Woooow, so that's the Nadesico-B! It looks even more awesome than the first!" the bubbly Hikaru exclaimed, her fist raised in the air. "And... that huge black robot there? What's the deal with it?"

Ryoko sighed at her younger comrade's innocent question. Knowing the truth would certainly not make her more comfortable... "That black robot is an ally, Hikaru." she warned, before relaying the message to the rest of the team. "I repeat, the black robot is to be considered an allied unit! Support him in this operation!"

"Captain Hoshino! Just in the nick of time!" Fiona exclaimed. "And I can see that Tenkawa is here, too... guess he finally was convinced to get back on our side, huh?"

Akito's visor-covered face popped up on one of Fiona's screens, slightly unnerving the girl with his grim expression. "You are mistaken." he stated, simply. "I have neither the intention nor the faculty to come back. What I have become is simply too different from what you would call humanfor me to once again fit among you. What sustains me now... is the will to get my revenge for all that they've done to me, and to protect the ones that used to care about what I was."

Fiona was quite shocked at the man's brutal contradiction of her statement... but Ruri, her face popping up beside Akito's, called for the girl's attention on the still-going battle against the Bandock. "Do not get distracted, Fiona. The Bandock is in front of us, and it is still active and capable of causing damage. Concentrate fire upon it, and try to destroy it. We cannot let Butcher escape this time."

"Ugh... heh, so you think you can destroy me now, just because you've got a few more gaudy toys? I beg to differ!" Butcher smirked nastily. "That just means I'll have more fun wringing every last one of your screams out of your broken bodies! Come, my Mecha Bursts, rain despair upon these worthless humans!"

Two hangars on the Bandock's sides opened up, letting a few more monsters come out. Among them, there were a few more Mecha Bursts that the Nadesico team had seen in the fight of several years before - a few Trashid-types, monstrously huge dark grey tanks with a pair of short, spindly arms hanging by their sides, and two insectile heads jutting out of their top, each crowned with a pair of antennae and some sort of military helmet; and a few Gabitan-types, who looked like humanoid eagles with muscular arms and legs, encased in thick armor. Despite their rather vanilla appearence, Ryoko knew the true danger of that type of Mecha Bursts - whenever dealt enough damage, their armor would burst open, releasing a smaller but still dangerous Mecha Burst hidden inside of the monster's mechanical body, so that whenever one of those Mecha Bursts fell, a smaller but no less intimidating opponent would take its place. There were also a few more Domiras and Garchakus, but those weren't as much of a concern.

"Damn, those are Gabitans..." Ryoko murmured. "Everyone, be careful of the bird-like ones! They've got a second Mecha Burst hidden inside of them!"

"Alright!" Fiona answered, psyching herself for another fight as the bird-like Gabitan began advancing towards her, and the Black Serena piloted by Akito took flight above the ruined graveyard, shooting red beams of energy at the incoming Mecha Bursts... "Man, they just keep piling up... as if we didn't have our hands full already with Neo Zeon, ZAFT and these Martian Successors..."

**oooooooooo**

At the same time, on board the Ral Kairam, the preparatives for chasing after the Neo Zeon fleet were frantic, as a discussion was taking place between Captain Bright Noah, and the leader of Terminal, who had just contacted them from the Eternal.

"We're nearing the place where the Neo Federation fleet was ambushed by the Neo Zeon / ZAFT allied forces!" Bright said. "With a little luck, we might be able to stop the bulk of their forces before they regroup with the main fleet at Axis! That will make things a little easier on us in the deciding battle."

"_Acknowledge, Captain Bright!_" the pink-haired songstress answered, looking really serious and determined. Which was only natural, as she knew all too well how much was at stake in the upcoming battle. "_The Eternal and the Archangel, along with our reinforcements, will rendez-vous with you right there, and we trust we'll be able to handle our enemy's new Mobile Suits! I wish you good luck in this endeavor!_"

"Thank you, Lady Lacus. Likewise to you." Bright answered before the communication was interrupted, and the veteran of the One Year War psyched himself for the important mission he was facing now. "All hands to battle stations! All pilots, get ready to launch, we should be in sight of the Neo Zeon fleet within minutes!"

**oooooooooo**

In the hangars of the Ral Kairam, Amuro Ray was heading off to his brand-new Nu Gundam, while the other pilots were prepping their own Mobile Suits and getting ready to engage the enemy. He managed to see Astonage, the ship's lead mechanic, wishing good luck to the newcomer Kayra Su, who was boarding her Jegan... and Athrun getting ready to board the Saviour Gundam for the latest time... but what really surprised him was seeing Chan coming towards him, clad in a piloting suit and holding an helmet in her hands!

"Chan?" Amuro asked incredulously. "Are you going to sortie as well?"

"Well, now that you have received the Nu Gundam, we do have a spare Re-GZ to use... and as a warrant officer for Anaheim, I have taken piloting lessons! I want to help as well." the Chinese girl answered with a nod, as the two of them walked to their assigned MSs. Amuro was about to say something, when his keen Newtype senses caught a glimpse of someone hiding behind a Mobile Suit, trying to look as unconspicious as possible. Holding one hand up to tell Chan to wait for him, the Newtype ace went to see who was it that was hiding behind that Mobile Suit... and he wasn't exactly surprised to see Hathaway looking back at him in surprise!

"Ah! C... Captain Amuro, I can explain that..." the young boy stammered.

Amuro sighed, his suspicions confirmed by the fact that Hathaway was wearing a pilot suit and holding an helmet as well. It was all too obvious what he was up to... "That won't be necessary, Hathaway... you were going to wait until the time was right, and hijack a Mobile Suit to head into battle, am I correct?" he asked. The silence on the dumbfounded teen's part was all the confirmation he needed, and he continued on. "You know what your father told you about that... it's too dangerous, you shouldn't be out there fighting. You'll only expose yourself to the death that always looms about in the battlefield."

"But... but I..." Hathaway tried to justify himself. "I need to go out there and rescue Quess! I know she isn't doing this of her own free will! I... I think that if I just talk to her, I can bring her back to her senses..."

"Hathaway..." Chan tried to soothe the young boy. "Please, try to understand. We see your point, and it's an admirable one... but we're fighting a war here, and you're completely inexperienced. If you went out there, you'd only get killed... please, think of your father, how would he take the news?"

Hathaway looked at the ground and clenched his fist, having no good retort to that. He hated to admit it, but Amuro and Chan were right. But still... if only he could find a way to talk to Quess and bring her back to their side...

"I don't know what good it will do..." Amuro finally promised. "But if I do get a chance to talk to Quess, I will do my best to convince her to come back, though I cannot make promises about that. Is that a deal?"

There was not much Hathaway could do besides nod at Amuro, hoping with all of his heart that he could get through to Quess... but if he couldn't do it, Hathaway knew what to do himself...

"We need to scramble right now... the Neo Zeon fleet is within our visual!" Chan said. "Hathaway, get yourself in a safe place and make sure you don't get in trouble! We'll come back for sure!"

As the boy nodded again, Amuro and Chan gave a small, encouraging smile before heading to their own units... and in a few minutes' time, the Nu Gundam, the Re-GZ and the Saviour Gundam were all lined up on the launch catapults, ready to dive into battle.

"Sorry for the lateness, had a few business that needed to be taken care of." Amuro apologized to Athrun for both himself and Chan. Athrun, who was never the kind of person to be upset over something that trivial, simply nodded in assent over the comm screen.

"It's okay, Captain Amuro... I sure won't be one to complain about it!" the blue-haired former ZAFT soldier answered. "The enemy is right in front of us, and trying to retreat to Axis. We are facing a mixed group of Neo Zeon and ZAFT machines... and among them, there are a few unknown units. We must be careful."

"Of course." Amuro answered... and just then, the launch order was green-lighted, and the Nu Gundam's verniers sprung to life, thrusting the mighty Gundam into the vastness of space! "Alright, here we go! Amuro Ray, Nu-Gundam, I'm taking off!"

"Athrun Zala, Saviour Gundam... taking off as well!"

"Chan Agi, Re-GZ... I'm moving out!"

"Kayla Su, Jegan... sortying as well!"

Two streaks of silver and purple accompanied the Nu-Gundam and the Saviour Gundam as they departed from the Ral Kairam's hangar. The Neo Zeon and ZAFT fleet was only a short distance away from them, and it seemed to have been caught while still disorganized and unable to put up great resistance!

"_Word of advice, try not to draw out this fight too much!_" Bright reccomended over the comm. devices. "_We have detected a few more ZAFT units heading your way, and we are positive the Destiny Gundam and Legend Gundam are among them! We need to end this battle as quickly as we can!_"

"Will do, Captain Bright!" Athrun answered, as he saw a few units detach themselves from the main combined Neo Zeon / ZAFT armada and start acting as disturbance, shooting with their beam machine guns and rifles. The blue-haired young man deftly evaded all hits and produced his beam saber, getting up close and personal with the opponents and slicing them apart with the greatest of ease!

A couple of Geara Doga targetted the Nu-Gundam, unleashing a volley of beams upon it... but its wing-like Fin Funnels, moving as if possessed with their own will, flew in front of the white MS and created a pyramidal energy shield around it, against which the opponents' beams dissipated uselessly, before getting back to their position on the Nu-Gundam's back!

"The Nu-Gundam isn't just for show, you know!" Amuro exclaimed, before firing a couple shots from his beam rifle with pin-point accuracy, striking his opponents and destroying them in the blink of an eye. Just then, the Re-GZ piloted by Chan reached him, and the Chinese girl unleashed a volley of red lasers from the flier's wings, taking down a few Geara Doga and ZAKU Warriors.

"Allow me to act as a backup, Captain Amuro!" Chan stated, always keeping an eye on the bulk of the opposing army, who was just then closing the distance. Among them, the Re-GZ's sensors were able to pick up the unmistakeable line of a Gundam, and Chan knew that it was the Impulse Gundam they were up against. Not as bad as the Destiny or the Legend, but still nothing to sneeze at.

Kayra's Jegan, on the other hand, was leading the rest of the Ral Kairam's Jegans and GM-3s in attacking the main bulk of the Neo Zeon / ZAFT forces. As of now, the battle seemed to be under control, but Amuro, Athrun and Chan knew that it could all go south in a moment... especially if their opponents had managed to hold out long enough to receive reinforcements! With that in mind, Amuro led Athrun and Chan in the attack, trying to make a beeline for the main force... and almost immediately, the Saviour Gundam was rushed and knocked back by the Excalibur-wielding Impulse Gundam, piloted by a very determined Lunamaria Hawke! The anti-ship sword flashed to activity, and the enemy Gundam swung it above its head and brought it down in an arc, trying to slice the Saviour apart... but Athrun's quick reflexes spared him from this fate and allowed him to deftly sidestep the terrible blow, before countering with his own beam saber.

"Lunamaria, is that you?" Athrun exclaimed, holding off the ZAFT ace pilot. "Please, get out of the way... we have to stop Axis from being dropped on Earth!"

"Sorry, Athrun, I have my orders." Lunamaria countered. "I cannot handle the three of you put together, but I can still hold you alone off. I haven't been made Redcoat for nothing!"

The Impulse CIWS vulcans activated, peppering the Saviour with a fine hail of bullets and forcing the agile Gundam back, but Athrun managed to get back on guard in a split second. "Captain Amuro, Chan! I'll handle the Impulse myself! You go ahead and try to reach the main fleet!" the blue-haired young man exclaimed on his comm. channel.

"Alright. Be careful." Amuro reccomended, before his Nu-Gundam and Chan's Re-GZ sped towards the main Neo Zeon / ZAFT fleet, leaving the Saviour Gundam to handle the Impulse. Athrun nodded to himself before getting back to the matter at hand - namely, trying to hold off Lunamaria, whose Gundam had produced a beam rifle and was now firing in his direction. Athrun grit his teeth as he forced his Gundam in a spectacular evasive maneuver, then brought out his own beam rifle and fired a few shots back. The Impulse sidestepped the first shot, then hid behind a large piece of debris - probably the remains of a Neo Federation ship - in order to avoid the rest. As Athrun flew back in order to get back on guard and reassess the situation, Lunamaria popped up from behind the ship's ruined hull and wielded her Excalibur once again, rushing towards the Saviour Gdm, who reacted just in time to avoid the most of the hit, but still failed to dodge it all, getting an arm and a leg damaged. A shower of electric sparks exploded out of the damaged limbs, but Athrun was still able to take aim and fire a shot that struck the Impulse on its left shoulder, almost blowing the limb off!

Lunamaria grunted in pain and frustration as she was briefly thrown aroun in her cockpit, and quickly flew back in order to regain her cover and buy a little more time. Mindful of the damage to his own unit, Athrun stood back slightly, only firing a few shots in order to cover himself. "Lunamaria, you know very well what Char is trying to do!" Athrun exclaimed, once again trying to reason with his former subordinate. "Why are you helping him plunging the Earth into nuclear winter? You were never one to hate Naturals, if I recall correctly."

"And I still don't! It was never ZAFT's intention to allow Axis to get dropped!" Lunamaria countered, peeking out of her cover in order to fire her CIWS once again. She frowned as the bullets were all repelled by the Saviour's Phase-Shift Armor. "But for Chairman Durandal's project to succeed, it is necessary that we work alongside Neo Zeon for now! WE will not let up now, no matter what you tell me!"

"It seems there's no helping it, then... I'll fight you!" Athrun declared. An emerald seed burst inside of his pupils, which immediately darkened in order to show that he was now in SEED mode! Lunamaria grit her teeth as the Saviour's assault became more relentless and was forced to retreat under a flurry of lightning-fast blows! A well-aimed slice caused the beam saber to fly out of her Gundam's hands, and even her attempts to hide behind the hull of a destroyed ship for defense could only buy her a little time...

**oooooooooo**

Talia Gladys, who had until then been rather pleased that the ambush to the Neo Federation fleet had gone according to their plans, was now rather annoyed that the Terminal forces and the Londo Bell squad had managed to throw a wrench in their plans. Of course, they hadn't been able to do that much damage, but if allowed to proceed further, they could really have been dangerous, and they couldn't allow that to come to pass!

"Captain Gladys, we have detected a Terminal fleet approaching at high speed." Arthur Trine exclaimed, taking a look at the instruments. "We have recognized the Eternal and the Archangel among them. Shall we send the Mobile suits to attack the Londo Bell squad and run interference?"

Talia nodded silently. "There is no other way to hold them off long enough." she stated. "Very well, then... make sure the Destiny and the Legend get to sortie as well. We have also detected an unknown Gundam among the enemy forces, and we're not sure what it is capable of... though it is currently cutting a swathe through our forces."

"Yes, Captain!" Arthur answered. "All pilots, get ready to sortie! Stop the Eternal and the Archangel, and take down the Londo Bell assault team!"

**oooooooooo**

The Nu-Gundam was proving to be more than a match for everything Neo Zeon and ZAFT could possibly throw at them. All of their beams were either dodged or dissipated against the I-Field generated by the Fin Funnels, who seemed to be moving of their own volition in order to defend their master. As soon as the barrage of beams ceased, the Fin Funnels hovered around the Nu-Gundam and unleashed an hail of lasers that destroyed or disabled several enemy Mobile Suits. Chan and her Re-GZ were left to pick off any remaining stragglers, while Kayra and her team of Jegans kept the bulk of the Neo Zeon / ZAFT army at bay.

Amuro, inside of his cockpit, was quite impressed with the Nu-Gundam's showing. The mighty Mobile Suit was easily cutting its way through the enemy forces, and its speed and response were easily the best Amuro had ever experienced in his whole life. It seemed nothing could stand against it... but the Londo Bell captain stood on guard, knowing that more enemy reinforcements could be coming at any time...

And as if summoned by his thoughts, bad luck struck right at that moment! A proximity alarm went off, and the Newtype ace dodged sideways just as a group of funnels opened fire against him... and a black Yact Doga, piloted by a vengeful Gyunei Guss, swooped down, slashing with its beam saber. The Nu-Gundam stood on guard, drawing its own weapon as Amuro coolly appraised the opponent in front of himself...

"Heh... looks like you got yourself quite a good Mobile Suit there, Amuro Ray!" Gyunei taunted him. "Therefore, I challenge you! If I manage to defeat you here, I will be able to take your Mobile Suit and surpass the Colonel... and this way, even Quess' heart will be mine!"

"Such a simple-minded hostility... it's the Artificial Newtype I fought earlier..." Amuro murmured to himself, before blocking a powerful blow from the opponent's weapon. An oppressive feeling washed over him as he felt the presence of more enemies approaching, and his onboard radar detected the presence of ZAFT Mobile Suits, the Destiny Gundam and the Legend Gundam among them! He inwardly cursed his bad luck... even the Nu-Gundam was no match for all those Mobile Suits put together! He could only hope their own reinforcement arrived soon enough...

But for now, this one opponent was one he could deal with! With renewed strength, he pushed the Nu-Gundam propeller to their limit and forced the surprised Gyunei away from him, before kicking his Yakt Doga straight in its midsection! The Artificial Newtype growled under his breath and sped away, summoning his Funnels to attack the Nu-Gundam from all directions... but the Newtype ace was faster than him, and his own Fin Funnels sprung back to life a split second later, firing in all directions and blasting away at the Yakt Doga's funnels, causing them to detonate!

"Ugh... you are good, aren't you?" Gyunei murmured fiercely. "But... I'm not done with you yet!"

A jolt of alarm from his enhanced senses warned him of an incoming danger, and he flew out of the way just in time for the Re-GZ's Mega Beam Cannon to miss him and slam against an incoming GOUF Ignited, reducing the ZAFT Mobile suit's top half to smoldering ruin as Chan Agi flew in a circle around the Yakt Doga and tried to keep him occupied. However, this was not to last, as the customized green Geara Doga piloted by Oldtype ace Rezun Schneider ran interference, shooting at the fighter with her beam machine gun!

"Chan, be careful!" Amuro warned the Chinese girl, as he resumed his pitched battle against Gyunei.

"I'll be alright, Captain Amuro!" she answered. "Don't worry about me, I'll keep this one occupied as long as I can!". She then executed a flawless evasive maneuver and dodged the shots from the Geara Doga's weapon, before firing a volley of lasers backk at her. Only her superior reflexes saved Rezun from being skewered by the red lasers coming from the Re-GZ's wings.

"Tch... dammit, that's why I hate Newtypes..." Rezun cursed. "They always have it easy compared to us normal people..."

**oooooooooo**

"Captain Ramius, what's the situation?" Lacus Clyne, garbed in her elegant battle kimono, asked from her commander seat on board the Eternal, as she talked to the captain of the Archangel, brown-haired and motherly-looking Murrue Ramius. "Are our forces still holding their own?"

"For now, it appears that they are getting by... but enemy reinforcements are closing in, nd unless we send out our own Mobile Suits now, we don't know for how long they will be able to resist against the Destiny and the Legend!" Murrue Ramius answered worriedly, which Lacus acknowledged with a nod.

"I understand... in this case, we cannot afford to hold back any more! We'll launch all the units we can possibly spare!" she answered. "To all pilots, get ready to scramble at my command! The Destiny Gundam and the Legend Gundam are closing in at high speed, try to stop them at all costs... but be careful, and don't overestimate your suits' performance! For many of them, this is the first battle ever."

**oooooooooo**

Kira Yamato, already sitting in the Strike Freedom's cockpit, sighed heavily as he prepared to resume his work one more time. He had lost count of how many times he had gone into combat, and was even more worried at how the words Andrew Waltfeldt had told him and his sister then now rang true - it really gets easier with time, and it was not a good thing at all. How many more times would he be forced into the battlefield, fighting people who, in other circumstances, might have easily been friends? This was dragging on for far too long already... and he could only hope the power of the Strike Freedom Gundam would be enough to handle ZAFT's new Gundam models and help bring the war to a close.

Lacus' rousing speech woke him up from his reverie, and the young Terminal commander steeled his resolve and looked in front of him, as the launch catapults lit up and signalled that it was time to get into the action!

"Acknowledge! Kira Yamato, Strike Freedom Gundam... I'm going out!" he exclaimed, before being thrust out of the Eternal's hangars and into open space, where he immediately saw the battle between the Londo Bell squad and the Neo Zeon and ZAFT assault team, currently grinding to a stalemate. He could see that other Mobile Suits were being launched from both the Eternal and the Archangel - the shining gold of Mwu La Flaga's Akatsuki, Cagalli's customized Murasame, the trio of DOM Troopers that had joined them earlier... and even Andrew Waltfeldt's red Gaia Gundam, a transformable Mobile Suit that Terminal had managed to recover from the Blue Cosmos forces. All in all, it was a really sizeable and powerful force, and considering that his friend Athrun was about to receive the Infinite Justice, it would have made for an even more formidable lineup... but the circumstances left him no room for contemplating, as a volley of azure beams, coming from the Legend Gundam's DRAGOON pods, showered them, forcing all pilots to scatter as much as possible. The Providence knockoff and the Destiny Gundam were approaching at high speed, and Kira's superior senses immediately took notice of the shining Gundam, armed with a huge anti-ship sword, bearing down upon him. The chestnut-haired Coordinator quickly turned to face Shinn, and deftly avoided the first strike before kicking the Destiny Gundam in the chest, throwing it off balance.

"Ugh... Damn you..." Shinn cursed from inside his cockpit. "So it seems you've gotten your hands on a brand new toy, huh, Kira Yamato? Doesn't matter, I can still smash it!"

"Please, stop it, Shinn." Kira tried to reason with the younger pilot. "There is no need for us to fight anymore! If we don't stop Axis here and now, Char will use it to attack Earth and turn it into a frozen planet! Is that what you wish for?"

Unfortunately, Shinn was in no mood for discussing, and with Rey nearby, the chances of him stopping to listen were very close to zero. "Hmph! No need for us to fight, you say? You're the one who took away my family and Stellar! And if it hadn't been for the naive foolishness you stand for, the Earth Union would never have attacked Orb! We will deal with Char and Neo Zeon when the time comes... but before that, I'll have to get my revenge against you! Prepare yourself!"

"It seems words won't get through to you, then..." Kira stated, as the other Mobile Suits from both the Archangel and the Eternal stood in position to fight the ZAFT troops. "In that case, I'll defeat you and have you listen!"

With an enraged yell, Shinn swung another time at the Strike Freedom, who prompty dodged and deployed a set of DRAGOON pods, which hovered for a split second around the mighty Gundam before unleashing a barrage of laser beams that forced Shinn on the defensive. The hotheaded ZAFT pilot grit his teeth and maneuvered around, trying to catch the Strike Freedom on its side, and their swords clashed in a spectacular display of light, as the Legend Gundam and Mwu's Akatsuki exchanged volley of lasers as well, and the other pilots began making their way through the ZAFT reinforcements.

"Mars! Herbert!" Hilda, the red-headed woman with the eyepatch, called out from her DOM Trooper. "Let's show these peons that we mean business! Get ready for the Jet Stream Attack!"

Her teammates smiled almost sadistically as a white Blaze ZAKU Phantom approached... and both of them dashed to the side, unloading their beam rifles on the hapless ZAFT Mobile Suit and staggering it before Hilda closed the distance and struck it down with a well-placed slash. The white MS exploded, and the trio immediately began searching for their next victim. "Good job, guys! For Lady Lacus!" Hilda exclaimed.

"For Lady Lacus!" Mars and Herbert echoed. As he got a respite from Shinn's relentless assault, Kira wrinkled his nose just a little. Those three were a little too brutal for his own tastes...

**oooooooooo**

"Hoho, I guess I've found a fellow DRAGOON user!" Mwu joked as he dodged the barrage of lasers the Legend Gundam was raining down upon him. However, his mood was fouled by a strange feeling that came from the opponent. It was not just the fact that the enemy MS looked an awful lot like his arch-nemesis Rau Le Crueset's Providence Gundam... the pilot also gave him some strange vibes, as if he was facing Rau Le Creuset all over again...

Rey, on the other hand, refused to take Mwu's bait and grabbed his Legend Gundam's powered beam rifle, shooting a few times at the Akatsuki. However, the mighty Mobile Suit's reflective armor swayed all the beams, forcing Rey to unsheathe his beam javelin and try getting close and personal. Mwu's DRAGOON pods shot out, barraging the Legend with their own beams, but Rey avoided all of them, forcing Mwu to defend himself with his beam sabers...

"Our accursed legacy... began with you and your father." Rey said, in a mysterious and disquieting way. "It is only fitting that we meet in combat now... so I can put it to rest one way or another."

"Another clone...?" Mwu wondered to himself, as the Akatsuki and the Legend Gundam began dancing dangerously around each other, in a magnificent yet terrifying display of skill that lit up that whole section of space.

The battle for Axis had just begun, with the fate of Earth hanging in the balance...

**oooooooooo**

Meanwhile, back on Earth, the battle between the Gaizock forces and the Nadesico crew, now joined by Akito's Blackserena, was nearing its climax. All the Aestivalis were rather badly damaged, and had been forced to endure rows upon rows of blasts from both the Mecha Bursts and the Bandock... but in the end, they had managed to thin down the numbers of the robotic monsters enough to allow the Nadesico-B and the Blackserena a clear shot at the enemy's mothership.

Ryoko let out a warlike yell as she descended down upon a Mecha Burst Tracid, using her Field Lancer to stab through one of the monsters' twin heads, while Hikaru dropped down on the other and severed it from the main body with a single swipe of her Immediate Knife. The gigantic monster toppled to the ground and exploded, but the two girls were very nearly struck by a barrage of fireballs launched by an incoming Gabitan. Fiona took aim and fired another Prisma Beam, which severed a few of the monster's tentacle-arms before Genichiro's Alstroemeria closed in and sliced the Gabitan in the chest with the white robot's claws. The Gabitan screeched and fell to the ground... but as soon as that happened, the plate of armor on its chest burst open, and a smaller bird-like monster, with an oversized head, a cruelly sharpened beak, and ridiculously small feathered wings flew out of the opening with a bloodcurling caw, taking flight in the darkened skies.

"Man, they weren't kidding... there was really a nasty surprise inside those Mecha Bursts!" Fiona said to herself as she avoided a Garchaku's claws. "We need to come up with a way to take them down without letting the chick get out, or we'll have more problems we really don't need!"

Saburouta fired a barrage, hitting another Tracid as it slowly rolled towards the Nadesico-B... and just then, the Blackserena, ignoring everything else, sped towards Butcher's massive battleship, surrounded in a glittering aura of Distortion Field, and punched a hole right through another Gabitan, this time destroying the Mecha Burst without letting the smaller monster out! As he saw the speedy black mech darting towards him, Butcher widened his eyes in surprise andtried to get his massive spaceship to move... but it was too big a target to escape that easily, and the Blackserena was able to close the distance and ram itself between the Bandock's eyes, shaking the whole mothership with its impetus! Butcher screeched in surprise and rage as he was thrown around, and the Bandock was forced backwards for a short while, long enough to allow the Nadesico-B to charge up its Gravity Blast!

"No!" Butcher exclaimed, recognizing the weapon who had felled so many enemies of the Earth Union in the war of five years before. "I... I'm not going to be destroyed here! Lord Gaizock hasn't brought me back to life only for me to end this way! All operators, raise the protective shield! Now!"

Luckily for him, his servants were quick to obey, and a shimmering barrier appeared around the Bandock, just as the Blackserena Boson Jumped away from the massive battleship. One second later, the Nadesico-B's Gravity Blast roared, reducing all the Mecha Bursts in its way to dust and striking the Bandock, whose field barely managed to sustain the impact! Plates of armor and mechanical parts flew off the Gaizock mothership, and Butcher screamed in pain and terror as several monitors, consoles and interfaces blew up around him... but fortunately for him - and unfortunately for his enemies, the main structure of the Bandock managed to hold, and despite having been grieviously damaged, the battleship was still able to take flight, leaving behind all the remaining Mecha Bursts!

"Hey! You're not getting away, you coward!" Fiona exclaimed as she set to run after the fleeing Butcher... and sh was on her way to get him too, had it not been for a Domira and a Gabitan getting in her way! Angrily, the red-haired girl raised the Excellence-S's claw arm, and punched through the Domira's chest, before sidestepping a swipe for the Gabitan's tentacle-arms. The monster was then greeted by an hail of gunfire from Ryoko, Hikaru and Izumi, and fell to the ground before releasing a smaller Mecha Burst, just like the one Genichiro has defeated earlier. This time, however, Fiona was well prepared and grabbed the smaller beast with her claw-arm, crushing it in her vicegrip before it could take flight.

"Curse you, pathetic humans!" Butcher called out to the Nadesico crew. "For an exercise after resurrection, I guess I'm unable to do more than that... but next time, you won't get so lucky! Enjoy what little life you have left!"

With an annoyed snort, Fiona could do nothing but watch helplessly as the Bandock flew away into the atmosphere, while the last few remaining Mecha Bursts were getting slaughtered by the Nadesico crew and the Blackserena, littering the ground with metal debris and what remained of the graveyard they had fought in. For now, the menace of the returning Gaizock had been foiled... but what really worried Fiona was the fact that they had another enemy now, an enemy who had proved to be just as hate-filled and relentless as the Martian Successors.

"Tch, he escaped..." the girl snorted. "Just what we needed... another crazy bastard breathing down our necks and gunning for our blood. It just never ends..."

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Author's Note: I apologize for the somewhat rushed ending part, but I was eager to publish this chapter before Sunday, as I will be on a 3-week leave after that. Anyway, the Gaizock seem to have been routed for now... but they will be back, and our heroes still have to deal with the threat of the Martian Successors and the Neo Zeon / ZAFT alliance. Still, hope what I've written is enough to satisfy you for now... and this fanfiction will return as soon as possible, with even more epicness! See you soon, everyone!**


	14. A Reunion Bathed In Sadness

**SUPER ROBOT TAISEN S**

**I'm back!**

**Again, this new chapter took me an inordinate amount of time to publish, because of the vacation period I spent in Rome... and the two weeks (more or less) I spent in Turkey, going from one place to another. It was an enjoyable period, and I had lots of fun, but I'm also glad to be back with you guys and to give you another chapter of my story - which, I guarantee you, will be updated at a much faster rate from now on, along with Super Robot Taisen G.**

**Anyway, back to our story, and let's make a resume of what happened, shall we? The Nadesico crew seems to have a new enemy in the Gaizock forces and their leader Killer the Butcher (gee, Mr. Yoshiyuki Tomino, you were not feeling too subtle when you thought the guy up, were you?). They and Fiona, along with their unexpected ally Genichiro Tsukuyomi, managed to rout them for now, but you can bet they will come back for more... and while the Nadesico crew gets ready to go to Mars in order to face the Martian Successors, we get to see that Terminal is having their hands full fighting the combined forced of Neo Zeon and ZAFT. Luckily, Amuro and Kira have just received their shiny new Gundams, the Nu Gundam and the Strike Freedom Gundam, and they will be giving their opponents a run for their money! Of course, whether they get here in time to avoid the Axis drop depends...**

**And that's about it, in terms of the story! In this new chapter, the preparatives for the final battle will get underway... and we will see that there might be an unexpected guest coming along! Are you curious to see who that might be? I sure hope you are... and I thank anyone who left me a review to comment on my work! Stay assured that you won't be disappointed!**

**Let's now put an end to this hiatus, and dive back into the world of heroics and epicness that is Super Robot Wars! Fasten your seat belts... and enjoy the ride! I guarantee there will be a LOT to see before this story is over!**

**See you soon!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 14 - A Reunion Bathed in Sadness**

"I'm afraid I need some updating on the situation... for instance, who are there Gaizock guys we have been fighting?" Fiona asked, as Ruri gathered the whole of the Nadesico crew around a table on the main bridge. Included was Genichiro Tsukuyomi, the former soldier of the Jovian Empire who had defected to Nergal and had helped them earlier against Hokushin and his assassins... but, much to the girl's chagrin, Akito seemed to have gone away shortly after Butcher had been forced to flee. She had briefly seen him talking to Ruri and giving her something... but she had no idea what that was, or what he had said to the teenaged captain.

Ruri, for her part, kept her unflappable, detached expression and began explaining the whole deal to Fiona and her friends. "It is a legitimate question. Those mechanical monsters we've fought just now were the Mecha Burst, weapon of extermination used by the Gaizock, a group of mechanical beings who have been created by an alien intelligence - only known as, you might have guessed it, Lord Gaizock - in order to exterminate all forms of life throughout the universe. During the past wars, we have fought this threat alongside Zambot 3, a Super Robot created by the members of a family who had escaped the destruction of their own home planet and had found refuge here on Earth."

"Yeah, I remember that..." Ryoko commented with a sorrowful sigh. "The Jin family was a great help to us fighting those guys, and all the other invaders we were faced with... Zambot 3 and those kids piloting it were really something, back then."

Mitsuko cleared her throat. "Well... then, I guess we should simply track back the pilots and convince them to fight alongside us once again..." she proposed. "Just like we did with the old Nadesico crew... do you have any idea where we can find them?"

These words caused an unconfortable blanket of silence to fall upon the room, and Mitsuko blinked in confusion, understanding that she had said something wrong... Ruri simply turned to the young mechanic and began explaining the situation. "That won't be possible, I'm afraid... Zambot 3 was destroyed in the final battle with the Gaizock, and two of its pilots, Uchuuta Kamie and Keiko Kamikita, perished by sacrificing themselves to allow the remaining pilot, Jin Kappei, to get to the final confrontation. In the end, Kappei and what was left of Zambot 3 managed to kill Butcher and destroy his Bandock... or at least... that's what we thought at the time."

"No joke..." Hikaru murmured. "So that means that Uchuuta and Keiko died in vain..."

"Much as I regret to admit it, that is the truth." Ruri answered. "So, Zambot 3 does not exist any more... and in any case, now Kappei has retired to live out his life in peace. He's... too traumatized to be able to fight again. So, I'm afraid that the idea of recruiting Zambot 3 back will be no good."

Mitsuko bowed her head, apologizing for her question. "I... I'm sorry, I had no idea." she murmured. "And I'm sorry for what happened to the pilots..."

"Not just to them, unfortunately..." Ryoko went on. "Their whole families were exterminated by the Gaizock or sacrificed themselve to allow Zambot 3 to reach the final confrontation... while we were unable to do anything to help them. But still... no need to apologize, pal. You had no idea."

"Anyway, we need to be planning our next move... which will quite probably involve a direct attack on the Martian Successors' HQ on Mars." Ruri stated. "As soon as our allies have given us more precise informations about its location, we'll get there and try to take out the whole organization in one fell swoop. I really see no other alternative. We are to take them down before they can master Boson Jumping."

"If they manage to do that..." Ryoko continued. "Then no one will be safe from their ambitions. The Nadesico-B is our only chance to defeat them..."

"I wasn't talking about the Nadesico-B, actually." Ruri interjected, much to Fiona and the other pilots' surprise. "The completion of the new model, the Nadesico-C, should only be a few days away. Its performance should far exceed that of the original Nadesico, and it may be our only chance to take on the Martian Successors' fleet... which sadly is much more powerful than we estimated, even leaving aside its Boson Jumping abilities."

"I understand... we'll make sure we're ready for that!" Fiona answered. "At least, the Martian Successors are now two elite thugs short. This will make things a little bit easier."

Ruri nodded, knowing that two of the Six had been killed in battle only a few hours earlier... and then looked at a scribbled piece of paper that had been lying in her hand for a while now, recalling the sad circumstances she had been given it, just a little before Akito had departed once again...

**oooooooooo**

_"Ruri, I want you to have this." the man who once was Akito Tenkawa had told her, handing her the paper, which Ruri had surveyed for a short while before asking what it was. The answer was the last thing she had wanted to hear. "This is the recipe for the Tenkawa-style ramen I used to cook for you and Yurika. I want you to have it."_

_"That I cannot do." Ruri had answered, gently but firmly. "After the Martian Successors are gone, you will still need this recipe, as soon as your restaurant is up and running again."_

_Akito stood silent for a while... then, still betraying no emotion of any kind, he grabbed his black visor and slowly removed it from his face, causing Ruri to gasp in horror and surprise at what she saw: the man in front of her resembled Akito, but it was clear that he was just an empty, tragic shell of the innocent boy he once was. Gone was his teenager's enthusiasm and the warmth his chestnut eyes used to have. Now, hollow eyes looked out of a pale, sunken face upon which eerie lines of white light, each as thin as an hair, danced endlessly in a geometric, yet still chaotic, pattern. It took no huge stretch of the imagination to understand that something deeply wrong had been done to him, burning away his innocence and leaving only this... shell... behind._

_"Akito Tenkawa is dead. I am nothing more than a pale shadow of him." Akito said. "When I was captured by Kusakabe and the Martian Successors, they performed all sorts of experiments on my brain in order to replicate the Boson Jump effect, destroying my nervous system. I have completely lost my sense of taste, and I won't be able to be a cook any more. This is why I want you, at least, to keep a memento of what Akito Tenkawa used to be..."_

**oooooooooo**

Ruri had no choice but to accept Akito's recipe in the end... and try to focus on the most immediate threat, hoping that Captain Bright, Captain Ramius and Lady Lacus were at least able to stop Neo Zeon and ZAFT. With the fate of mankind hanging in the balance, the most she could do was performing her duty as the Nadesico's captain to the best of her abilities...

"Therefore, to all personnel... please get back to your activities and stand ready to intervene." Ruri said to the gathered pilots. "I need you to be at your best performance when we face the Martian Successors in this deciding battle."

"Yes, captain!" the pilots all answered, doing a military salute. As they all walked away in different directions, Fiona, Mitsuko and Lahge remained there for a moment to look at the captain, sparing her a sympathetic glance before getting back to their mansions.

"We cannot leave these people alone..." Mitsuko said. "They've been through enough, and I certainly am not going to leave the Earth and the colonies to people like the Martian Successors."

"No joke..." Lahge answered. "Earth has already been damaged far too much... we won't allow Kusakabe and his minions to do anything more. But still, that leaves Char and ZAFT to deal with..."

"Let's cross our bridges when we come to them." Fiona told him. "For now, we'll be concentrating on the Martian Successors. And I swear, those bastards will pay for everything they've done. No exceptions."

**oooooooooo**

In the meanwhile, in open space, the gruesome battle between the Neo Zeon / ZAFT alliance and the Terminal forces was in full swing, with both factions trying their darndest to wipe the other out. Jegans were conducting head-on assaults on groups of ZAKU Warriors. Murasames of the former Orb military were facing hordes of Geara Doga armed to the teeth. Beams, lasers and missiles were darting from one side to the other, even as the ace pilots of both factions were locked in mortal combat... and especially the mighty Strike Freedom Gundam, finally managing to give an hard time to the seemingly-invincible Destiny Gundam! The newest Mobile Suit from Terminal was proving to be a formidable opponent even for the most advanced ZAFT models, and Shinn was already losing his cool trying to keep up with his hated enemy.

"Damn you!" the young ZAFT pilot yelled, another swing getting blocked and countered by the Strike Freedom's beam saber. "Stop screwing around with me, Kira Yamato! Either fight seriously or do not fight at all!"  
"Shinn, please, listen to me!" Once agaın, Kira was trying to reason with the crazed pilot, even when the latter was pulling out all the stops in his attempts to kill him. "Think of what you're doing! Is this really what you wanted? To create a world where nobody can decide for himself anymore? Is that what your family and your friends would want from you?"  
"Do NOT bring up my family OR my friends, you bastard! Not after you killed them all!" Shinn practıcally snarled, his antı-shıp sword viciously pushing agaınst the Strıke Freedom. "You have taken away my life... my joy... you have left me with only one thing: revenge! İ will never forgive you... you want to stop Chairman Durandal from bringing peace to this world... you want to continue your petty little wars... Why is that? WHY? How can't you understand that the Destiny Plan is going to save the human race?"  
"At what price? By taking away the human race's free wıll?" Kira countered, beginning to feel annoyed already. With a sharp push, he forced the Destıny Gundam back and delivered a powerful kick to the mighty Mobile Suit's torso, causing Shinn to grit his teeth in pain and anger. "I can't imagine a world where the Destiny Plan rules... there must be another way! A way that will no rob mankind of their right to decide for themselves how their future should be!"  
"You're wrong! There is nothing more that can be done! Only Chairman Durandal has the answer!" The Destıny Gundam shot forward, trying to hit the Strıke Freedom with its palm-mounted beam cannon, but the Terminal Mobile Suit proved to be a faster opponent than Shinn had predicted and dodged the blow, before firing a few beams back and forcing the Destiny on the defensive. "Ugh... damn you... why can't you understand? Do you realy want this war to continue that badly?"  
"I don't! But this war will not be ended by our inaction!" Kira shot back. Again, the Destiny tried to close in for the kill, but the Strike Freedom managed to outmaneuver it again, darting upwards and then descending to deliver a vicious sword slash to the Destiny's shoulder. Shinn cursed again and fıred with his beam rifle, almost managing to hit Kira's new Gundam. "Ugh... and one thing İ learned back then... if I did nothing, because İ thought İ wouldn't be able to help... then İ'd end up doing less than nothing, because nothing would change!"  
"Tch... spare me your rhetorics, Kira Yamato! I will destroy you and Terminal... here and now!" the red-eyed boy snarled, renewing his assault. A vertical slash from his beam sword caught the Strike Freedom in the chest, causing some sparkles to fly from the damaged parts, but Kira kept his cool and darted around with such speed that Shinn was unable to follow, and earned himself a shoulder ram in his Gundam's back for his overconfıdence. The Destiny Gundam shook dangerously, but Shinn quickly recovered and delivered a crushıng blow with his Palma Fiocina hand-mounted cannon, blowing the Strike Freedom back a good distance. Believing he had a chance at taking out his most hated opponent, Shinn took aim with his long-range beam cannon... but before he could do that, the Strike Freedom's wings seemed to come alive, as several DRAGOON pods shot in all dırections and, after a simple mental command from Kira, began shooting a rain of searing beams at the Destiny Gundam, pummeling it over and over as Shinn screamed in pain and frustration. The ZAFT Mobile Suit seemed to lose power as the beams mercilessly pounded against its VPS armor... and while the barrage only lasted a couple seconds, to Shinn it felt like an eternity. But his shock quickly turned back into rage, and the younger pilot started to attack again, letting out a primal, murderous yell in the process. Kira barely had time to gather his DRAGOON pods back before the relentless attack forced him back into a defensıve position...

**oooooooooo**

Mwu's Akatsuki and Rey's Legend Gundam were likewise intent on fighting each other, with each pilot trying to catch the other off guard and bombarding his respective opponent with searing laser beams from their DRAGOON pods, turning the whole area around them into a deadly trap that every pilot onboth factions was wise enough to steer clear of. The two of them seemed to be completely evenly matched - Mwu's superior experience against Rey's mighty Providence-lookalike - and it was hard to predict who would come out victorious. Finally, in an attempt to end the stalemate, Mwu decided to get close and personal and skillfully dived through the beams falling all around him, drawing his beam saber as he approached his target. However, Rey was not about to be taken offguard so easily, and he quickly countered with a swing from his beam javelin, forcing the Akatsuki Gundam back. Mwu grit his teeth and mentallychastitized himself for the mistake - he was letting the ZAFT pilot's uncanny resemblance to his archenemy Rau Le Crueset throw him for a loop. He had to be more careful than that if he hoped to do some progress.

Rey, hwever, was not about to let Mwu regain his bearings, and quickly recallled his DRAGOON pods on the Legend Gundam's back, before unleashing a barrage of lasers from them. Mwu managed to ddge the worst of the attack by diving sideways, but a couple of the beams still nicked the golden Mobile Suit's left arm, severely damaging it. Luckily, Mwu reacted quickly enough and fired a barrage of shots from his beam rifle, striking the Legend in its shoulder and side, and finally putting some damage on the mighty ZAFT Gundam. Rey's expression darkened somewhat, surprised that his opponent could do that much against him, and flew back in order to get some breathing room, but the Akatsuki was faster than he anticipated, and Mwu was upon him almost before Rey could understand what was going on. In a few split seconds, the Akatsuki was upon the Legend and slashed it, trying to hit it in the torso. Luckily for him, Rey was fast enough to push his Gundam upwards and avoid the hit... but Mwu's beam saber still nicked him in the leg, throwing him off balance for a second.  
"Heh... you're good, aren't you?" Mwu commented, as he took advantage of the break in the action to catch his breath. Once again, that uneasy feeling that he was dealing with Rau Le Creuest reincarnated sprung up in a dark corner of his mind. "This should be an interesting battle... still, sorry to say that we cannot really let you and your friend do whatever you want, and the same goes for your little friend Char Aznable as well!"  
"There is not much time left..." Rey answered, talking to himself more than with Mwu or anyone else. "The Destiny Plan must succeed... I need to see to it that it becomes a reality... so that no more people will suffer like we did..."  
Mwu was rather confused at this. His opponent was once again sounding too much like Rau Le Creuset for confort. "Say what? Hey, kid, may I please know what you're talking about?" the ace pilot asked... before being forced to defend himself from a new, surprisingly violent attack from the larger Gundam. The Akatsuki's beam saber and the Legend's beam javelin clashed again, and a shower of sparks erupted from the place where the two weapons had met each other as the pilots pushed with all of their strength.

"You have seen it as well, haven't you?" Rey exclaimed. "This world of endless desires has to be erased and started anew if mankind is to survive! And the only way to do it... is through Gilbert's Destiny Plan! So that the mistakes of the past can never be repeated!"  
"Sorry to break it you, pal... but your so-called Destiny Plan could never work! And Char's harebrained 'drop a huge rock on Earth' business isn't any better, either! You're just going for the quick and easy solution." Mwu fired back. The two Mobile Suits detached from each other and circled around each other once again, searching for a hole in the opponent's defence which never seemed to come. Finally, Rey decided to take the initiative, and charged the Akatsuki with his beam javelin, managing to damage the golden Mobile Suit's leg with a swing. The two opponents resumed their duel, as the battle raged all around them...

**oooooooooo**

"Arrrgh! Damn you, Amuro Rey!" Gyunei Guss cursed angrily, as the Nu Gundam once again blocked his Funnel's shots and advanced undaunted, as if the young Terminal ace couldn't even be bothered to acknowledge him as a threat. "Stay still and get shot down!"  
"I have no time to waste fighting him... I have to reach their command ship. If I can just do that..." Amuro murmured to himself, as he tried to get closer to the Rewloola, Neo Zeon's bright red command ship. On the bridge, commander Nanai Miguel watched with clear anxiety the radars, where the shape of the Nu Gundam was approaching with alarming speed. Their aces were busy fighting the best Terminal had to offer, Shinn was locked in battle with Kira, Lunamaria was having her hands full with Athrun, Rey and Mwu were still fighting to a stalemate...and Gyunei was not doing that good a job staving off his leader's arch-nemesis.

"The Nu Gundam is rapidly approaching our position..." Nanai commented, visibly worried about the latest developments. "If he can prevent us from reuniting with our main forces, it could spell disaster for the whole operation. Give all units the order to retreat, while we still have the time! We have nothing to gain by standing our ground here!"  
"Yes, ma'am!" a bridge operator answered. "All units, we have to retreat right now! Disengage whatever enemy you ae currently up against and head back to the Rewloola! We need to be at full strength for the final part of our operation to succeed!"  
"All hands, concentrate on turning the ship. The nearest units will provide cover fire to throw off pursuers!" Nanai added. "Begin retreat now!"

From his position in the Nu Gundam's seat, Amuro was able to see the Rewloola, in the far distance, as it began to retreat, swarms of Mobile Suits forming a defensive formation all around it. Understanding what the Neo Zeon battleship was trying to do, the young officer tried to push the Nu Gundam's engines to their limits in order to reach the battleship... but a barrage of laser beams coming from Gyunei's Yakt Doga forced him to desist and concentrate on the more immediate threat.  
"Don't run away, Amuro Rei! I'm still your opponent!" the young artificial Newtype exclaimed. Mentally scolding himself for getting too complacent with the Nu Gundam's power, Amuro concentrated hard and sent a few Fin Funnels flying away from his new Gundam's back. They circled around the Nu Gundam for a split second, then began shooting at a breathtakingly fast rythm agaınst Gyunei's black Mobile suit, hittıng both its arms and blowing them off its body as Gyunei screamed in rage. The younger pilot trıed to counter with his own funnels, but all of them were shot down and destroyed by Amuro's Fin Funnels before Gyunei could even aim a single shot. Now truly helpless, there was nothing Gyunei could do other than grit his teeth in impotent rage as the Nu Gundam flew away from him... and his chance to prove himself to Quess and earn himself a brand new Mobile Suit with which to challenge Char evaporated before his very eyes. Realizing there was nothing that could be done to salvage the situation, the young Artificial Newtype reasoned that he should at least save his own skin and proceeded to head away from the battle and towards the battleship, siently vowing to himself that next time things would be very, very different.

"Damn you, Amuro Rei... I will take your Mobile suit, and I will defeat Char and make Quess mine... make no mistake about it!" 

**oooooooooo**

The battle, somewhere else, was not going smoothly for the other Terminal pilots... among which the Re-GZ's newly designated pilot, Chan Agi, who was at the moment tangling with Rezun Schneider, one of the best non-Newtype pilots Neo Zeon had to offer. Despite lacking the supernatural instınct and perceptions of the Chinese girl, Rezun was doing a fairly good job keeping her on her toes... and Chan grit her teeth when a volley of shots from her opponent's beam machine gun passed too close for confort to her Re-GZ's wing. Chan countered the attack with her wing-mounted beam guns, and was able to score a direct hit on Rezun's blue Geara Doga, which the Neo Zeon pilot was only able to survive by raising her shield in the nick of time. An explosion rocked the heavy Mobile Suit and jarred the older woman around in her cockpit, as several of her onboard instruments began giving off alarm signs... and, much to her chagrin, Rezun found herself forced to admit that this wasn't a fıght she could win any more.  
"And besides which... we've been given the order to get the Hell out of here." Rezun muttered to herself. "Tch... I'll be content with this for now, Newtype... but next time we meet, things will be very dıfferent!"

With that, Rezun put her Mobile Suit's still-intact thrusters to good use and got away from the agile Re-GZ. Chan glared at her retreating opponent and fired a couple more warning shots, but decided not to pursue, in order not to get herself into a dangerous situation. For now, this was a satisfactory outcome... though it was unfortunate that Terminal was not going to be able to pursue their opponents and end their plans once and for all. She just watched as the enemy began beating a fighting retreat, and then started returning to the main Terminal fleet, checking her allies to see if they were doing well.  
A little farther away, the fight between Athrun and Lunamaria, between the Saviour and the Impulse Gundam, came to an ubrupt end when the ZAFT pilot, who seemed to be on the losing side, managed to wrest away from her opponent by catchıng a rather large piece of debris and tossing it in the Saviour's direction, which forced Athrun to dodge and made him waste a couple of important seconds which the red-haired girl wisely used to get away. Again, Athrun could have pursued, but he knew the risks far outweighed the possible advantages, and decided not to press his luck. When the Neo Zeon / ZAFT fleet was fınally a safe dıstance away, the Terminal ace sighed in both relief and frustration and turned to the rest of the Terminal fleet, who was currently disengaging. He managed to see Cagalli's customized Murasame and Waltfelt's Gaia Gundam shoot down a couple of stragglers, while his radar showed the Nu Gundam approaching them... and more importantly, the Eternal had finally joined with the rest of the fleet, which not only meant that the Terminal leader, Lacus Clyne herself, had stepped into the battlefield in person to heighten her troops' morale... but that she had also brought with her the new Mobile Suits Terminal sorely needed in order to be able to fight Neo Zeon and ZAFT on even terms! Finally, for once, things were looking up.  
A comm channel switched on on Athrun's console, and the blue-haıred young man quickly opened it, only to be greeted with the serenely-smiling face of his ex-fiancee Lacus Clyne, rose hair falling neatly into place and clad in her elegant kimono. "To all the Terminal operatives, I must congratulate you on your best efforts and on a job well done." the PLANT songstress greeted. "Also, I feel the need to apologize to all of you for my lateness. I have come, along with trustworthy allies, to aid you in this difficult endeavor, and to offer you new strength with which to accomplish it. Please, regroup and meet me at the Eternal as soon as you can."

Athrun managed to smile to himself despite the rather grim situation they were in. Lacus always had that gift to give everybody hope...

**oooooooooo**

Shinn, on the other hand, was nothing less than furious about the fact that hıs revenge against Kira Yamato was, once again, going to be postponed. It was just as infuriating as the fact that Kira's new Gundam was every match for his Destiny... but Shinn was reasonable enough to realize that getting killed or captured right now would mean ruining everything, both for him and for Chairman Durandal... so he wisely decided to back down and go back to the Rewloola, not before glaring daggers at Kira, who was recalling his DRAGOON pods.  
"Again, you get away from me... but next time, I'll be sure to finish you off once and for all!" Shinn pretty much snarled, getting away from the Strike Freedom wıth all the speed his thrusters could manage. He only stopped briefly along the way to pick up Gyunei's damaged Yakt Doga and help the Artificial Newtype get back to safety, while Kira simply stood his ground and watched Shinn depart, without trying to change his mind.

"I guess you would not listen to me, not in the conditions you're in..." Kira sighed to himself. "Much as I hate to admit it, next time we meet will probably be the last for one of us. I just wish it didn't have to be this way..."

However, his mood got considerably lighter when Lacus popped up on the Strike Freedom's monitor, reminding him that, at the very least, Terminal had managed to throw a wrench in their enemy's works and that things were looking up somewhat. "It's okay, Kira... we have driven them away for now!" Lacus told him. "Please return to the Eternal's bridge... Athrun should be there shortly, and I am sure you and him will have quite a few things to talk about, am I right?"  
Kira smiled slightly. "You're right, Lacus... I'll be there in a moment!" he answered, nodding before closing the communication and maneuverıng his Strike Freedom - lightly damaged but still very much combat-capable - so as to survey the battlefield. He could see the remaining Terminal Mobile Suits gathering back around the Archangel, the Eternal and the Ral Kairam, and he was fairly sure he could make out Amuro's Nu Gundam among them.

For his part, Amuro had approached Chan's Re-GZ in order to check on the young warrant officer. "Chan, this is Amuro Rei, do you copy?" the Terminal ace spoke in his comm device. "Are you feeling okay?"  
"None the worse for wear, Captain Amuro." the Chinese girl readily answered. "I was quite new to piloting this machine, but it all worked out for the better... somehow. Sadly, we were not able to intercept the enemy and keep them from reuniting with their main force..."  
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Amuro told her, trying to be optimistıc as well regarding the whole deal. "For now, we can be content with having damaged them at least a little... though I guess the hard part comes now. We'll have to cattch up to them and intercept Axis before it gets too close to the Earth. Anyway, let's head back to the hangars for now, Chan."

**oooooooooo**

It didn't take too long for the pilots to get back to the Eternal and land their Mobile Suits, and as soon as it was possible, Athrun and Kira went to greet each other, both very glad to see that the other had survived unscathed. The two of them exchanged a brief hug and some proper greetings before starting to discuss the matter at hand.  
"Athrun, it's good to see you!" Kira saıd as he shook hıs best friend's hand. "I see that you guys have had your fair share of trouble getting to this point... and I'm sorry we were unable to arrıve earlier."  
"Don't be, Kira... it's still good news that you, Lacus and the others arrived. We are still in time to stop Axis from getting dropped on Earth." Athrun answered. "By the way, Kira... that was the new Gundam Lacus gave you? It's really an impressive machine, I have to say." The blue-haired young man looked at the Strike Freedom, standing majestically in the hangar, in front of the many other Mobile Suits belonging to the resıstance group.  
Kira smiled and nodded. "In fact, I have to say that I'm quıte awed myself by its performances... the Strike Freedom Gundam, along with the Nu Gundam and the Infinite Justice Gundam, is our trump card to defeat the Destiny and the Legend, and to stop Neo Zeon and Chairman Durandal." 

"The... Infinite Justice, huh?" Athrun asked, glad to know he would be getting a more powerful Gundam as well. "I'm kinda curious to see it, but before that... I'd like to see Cagalli, if that's possible..."  
"Anyone called for me?" a well-known female voice asked as the former prıncess of the Principality of Orb, Cagalli Yura Athha, blond haır glittering slighty in the light of the hangar, dismounted from a nearby platform and walking to the two friends, before grabbing Athrun in a tight embrace. A little surprised about his girlfriend's forwardness at first, the Saviour pilot quickly reciprocated. "Well, you big idiot? Are you done with going around getting your fool self blasted? I was worried about you, you know?"  
"Er... me too, Cagalli. Me too." Athrun answered as the two separated a little and then exchanged a quick kiss. "But still, I'm glad to see you're alright and you're doing well... and I2m glad to know that we can count on you and the others to help us. The situation has become critical..."  
"I know..." Cagalli said, getting more serious. "The Rewloola is now headıng back towards Axis, where it will rendez-vous with the Minerva and the rest of the Neo Zeon and ZAFT fleet. After that, Axis will definitely begin its descent towards Earth. The Archangel, the Eternal and the Ral Kairam are pretty much the only thing standing between them and the Earth."

"That's of course assuming that we aren't looking at an enemy civil war situation." said Andrew Waltfeld as he got off the Gaia Gundam. "After all, if Durandal wants to impose his Destiny Plan upon mankind, it just wouldn't do for him to allow Axis to fall and devastate the planet. So... I think our beloved Chairman might have a surprise in store for both us and Char..."  
"You too think Durandal will throw a wrench in Char's plans somehow, Commander Waltfeld? That's what I assumed myself..." Amuro asked. The young Terminal ace, joined by Chan, had landed his Nu Gundam nearby and had decided to join in the conversation. "And to be fair, it would only be convenient to us. However, up until now, Durandal and ZAFT seem to have done nothing to damage Char's plans."  
Cagalli shrugged. "Guess Durandal wants to keep a low profile about that until the last possıble moment..." she commented.

"I agree, and that would be most in character for him." another voice chimed in. All heads turned to the side to see Lacus Clyne walking into the hangar with a calm, dignified composure.

The pink-haired songstress smiled gently and bowed her head to the reunited pilots, who for their part responded with a more profound bow. "I am glad to see you are all reunited here, and I am most grateful for the efforts everyone has done to wın this important battle. I havecome to bring you new strength wıth whıch to fight our hardest battle yet... and hopefully, that will be enough to take down the ZAFT / Neo Zeon alliance."  
"And we're always glad to see you again, Lacus." Kira said, walking over to his girlfriend. "I still have to thank you for giving me the Strike Freedom. That Gundam actually managed to put ZAFT's Destiny Gundam on the ropes."

Kira didn't exactly look thrilled about saying that, and Lacus could clearly see that her boyfrıend felt sympathy for the young pilot of the Destiny. She could sense as well that Shinn was being manipulated and wasn't in his right state of mind... and, for that matter, she could understand even Char and Durandal's points as well, though she couldn't agree with them. "That is good to know... at least now we know we have a chance to avert the looming disaster. However, we need to make haste and head to Axis' position. Do our Mobile Suits need repairs, that you know?"  
"Well, some of them have been damaged in battle." Amuro answered. "The Nu Gundam has taken very negligible damage, but the same thing cannot be said for many of our suits. They will need to get intensively worked on in order to be combat-capable once we reach Axis." 

"Guess Astonage and his boys will have their fair share of work as well, huh?" Kayra Su said after dismounting from her damaged Jegan, which seemed to have taken quite a bit of punishment during the pitched battle. "Still, it's good to know that we can count on you guys."  
Lacus nodded, then motioned to Athrun. "By the way, Athrun... I think it is only fair that I present you to the new Mobile Suit Terminal has developed. Our technicians have done their best to address the Justice Gundam's shortcomings and have come up with a new model whose combat ability overshadows the Justice. If you would come with me..."  
"Of course. I'll be very thankful." Athrun answered as he, Lacus and a few of the other Terminal pilots began walking towards a platform upon which a majestıc red-and-white Gundam was standing, its Variable Phase-Shift Armor activated simply to give a visual of what the mighty machine would have looked like during actual combat. Indeed, the new model seemed to be a sleeker, more streamlined Justice Gundam, complete with a backpack-like lifter unit that gave the appearence of a pair of short wings. Several weapons were stored inside of its body, including a couple of beam sabers and two CIWS machine guns mounted in its chest. Overall, it really gave the impression that one was looking at the worthy successor to the Justice Gundam...

"This is your new sword, Athrun... the ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice Gundam." Lacus told her ex-fiancee, as Kira, Cagalli, Amuro and Chan were left staring in awe at the huge machine. "I don't know much of the technical specifics, but this new Mobile Suit has been built specifically for close combat and is specialized in fighting other Mobile Suits. However, thanks to its Fatum-01 lifter unit, it is also capable of taking on battleships and severely damaging them. I hope its power will serve you well in the battle that is to come."  
"I'm sure it will..." Athrun thanked Lacus. "And I am grateful for bringing it to us... though I have to wonder what will be of the Saviour now..."  
"I could be the Saviour's new pilot!" Cagalli impulsively blurted out, only to cover her mouth a second later and apologize for her forwardness. "Er, of course, with permission from you, Captain Ramius and Captaın Bright."  
Lacus smiled gently. No matter how much time went by, Cagalli still maintainted that impulsive, hot-headed side of her. "Well, that can surely be arranged. I'll speak to Captain Ramius and Captain Bright about that, but I am sure there will be no problem with that."  
Cagalli smiled and nodded. "Thank you very much, Lacus... this means a lot to me."  
"It means a lot to all of us, in fact." Amuro stated. "These new Mobile suits might very well be our last hope of shutting down Char and Durandal's plans for good... and that's not even taking the Martian Successors in consideration. As soon as we're finished with resupplying and getting our Mobile Suits in gear, we'll head to Axis to meet it head-on, and hopefully destroy it."  
"Do we have the means to do that?" Kira asked. "Our Mobile Suits are clearly powerful, but I don't think they could actually smash that asteroid apart."  
"Luckily, we do have connections to our side as well." Chan chimed in. "Mr. Cameron Bloom has arranged for several nuclear warheads to be launched at Axis by our support fleet, that should rendez-vous with us shortly. We have to make sure at least a few of those get past Axis' defence and strike true."  
"Then, our strategy is settled." Lacus concluded. "Very well... in that case, everyone please head back to your respective positions as soon as possible, and stand ready for intervention. We are facing our greatest battle yet."

"We know that..." Amuro said, Char's taunting words still echoing in his mind. "And we cannot afford to fail here. Too much is at stake now."

**oooooooooo**

Kusakabe sighed nervously as he sat at his desk in the Martian Successors' HQ on Mars, surrounded by electronic screens bearing pictures of the latest operations his organization had carried out. Up until then, things had gone pretty smoothly... until Hokushin's mission of retrieving Akito Tenkawa and Ruri Hoshino had hit a snag in the form of the traitor, Genichiro Tsukuomi, and the unexpected arrival of the Gaizock forces, who had been thought destroyed at the end of the war. Now, the Earth Federation could still count on a few aces up their sleeve, and this could potentially make things dangerous for him. However, thinking more carefully about that, he quickly convinced himself that nothing could go wrong at that point: they still had Yurika Misumaru under control, and as long as they retained the monopoly on Boson Jumping, they could attack any place, anywhere, and nobody could do anything to stop them. Sure, Neo Zeon and ZAFT were getting pretty dangerous with theır attempt at dropping Axis on Earth... but even that was nothing to worry about. For the moment, he was happy to let the Neo Earth Federation take care of this problem for him... and, should they fail, he already had a garrison of his most faithful soldiers ready to teleport to Axis' location and wreak havoc on his enemies. In other words, Kusakabe was sure he had the Neo Earth Federation, Neo Zeon, ZAFT and everyone else under his control... and all that was left to do was take out the Nadesico and its crew, and put his plans into their final phase.

"Very well... so, Char Aznable and Gilbert Durandal think they can get the jump on me so easily, huh?" he mused darkly to himself, before his thin lips raised in a smug smirk. "Well, it will be pleasant to see their corrupt forces finally fall to the unlimited might of the Martian Successors and their infinite rigtheousness. They will soon learn not to tangle with us..."

His musings were interrupted as someone knocked at his office's door. Kusakabe raised his head in annoyance and muttered an affirmative, to which the newcomer, who was revealed to be hıis right-hand-man Aritomo Shinjo, slowly opened the door and stepped in, saluting as he did so.  
"I apologize for the disturbance, leader Kusakabe." he began as his superior looked at him questioningly. "I have come to report of the later movements from Neo Zeon, Earth Federation and ZAFT."  
"Shinjo, I already know about that." Kusakabe stated, surprising his underling. "I know that Terminal is trying to go for Axis itself, and that the Nadesico-B has just recently thwarted our attempt at destroying Akito Tenkawa and capturing Ruri Hoshino. However, this is only a minor inconvenience at worst. As soon as our army is ready, we will launch our ultimate attack, and all our enemies shall fall in short order."  
Shinjo cleared his throat, almost afraid to speak his mind. "Leader Kusakabe... I know it is not my place to question your judgement, but I would advise against underestimating our foes. They've been capable of giving trouble to even foes who were thought to be beyond them, and if we aren't careful, we might even end up..."  
"That will be enough, Shinjo." Kusakabe sternly interrupted him. "Do not forget we are the Martian Successors, those who strive for a new order of justice and righteousness! And with Yurika Misumaru and the Ruins of Mars under our control, there is no possible way we can be defeated! Is that clear enough, or should I illustrate my point more thoroughly?"  
Aritomo wisely chose to keep his mouth shut and nodded slowly. "I... apologize for speaking out of turn, Leader Kusakabe." he murmured, privately resentful of his superior's all-too-assured attitude.

"Good." Kusakabe finished. "Now, go back to your assignments and have our fleet ready to depart. In a few days, the Martian Successors will deliver the final strike against the corrupt Neo Earth Federation, and the New Order shall triumphantly rise from the ashes of war!"

As Aritomo saluted and headed back to the HQ's main rooms, Kusakabe smirked in satisfaction as he already savoured his ultimate victory, mentally taunting Yurika over the grim irony of the whole deal.  
"I find it deeply karmic and ironic that you, Yurika Misumaru, will aid us destroy the corrupt regime you have been mindlessly fighting for for so long, and will even aid us destroying the people you love the most." he muttered with sadistic pleasure. "It is almost a pity you won't be able to witness such a glorious event... I would have loved to see you crushed by your anguish and despair! This is what you get for going against the representatives of ultimate justice!"

Kusakabe chuckled eerily, as the images on the screens around him seemed to flicker ever so slightly... 

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Author's Note: Yes, before you ask, Kusakabe is a Complete Monster.**

**(Yes, I am on TvTropes as well. *chuckles*)**

**I was hoping to throw in a few more scenes, but the chapter was getting too long already, and I thought this was a good place to interrupt it. Next chapter will see the beginning of the Nadesico crew's final journey towards Mars, and the last preparations of both Neo Zeon & ZAFT and Terminal for the deciding battle! Who will emerge victorious? The answer will come as soon as I am able to write the new chapter... and rest assured, I won't be taking too long this time!**

**See you soon, and please leave me a review!**


	15. Running To Ruin

**SUPER ROBOT WARS S**

**Hello, everyone! I think it was about time I updated this story, don't you agree? I have been busy with other stories and personal matters, but I'm ready to continue writing this story now. Hope I haven't left you hanging for too long... and in any case, things are speeding up now, and we're going to reach a conclusion to the Martian Successors and Neo Zeon debacle in these new chapters!**

**In fact, things are right now spiralling down to what looks like will be a rather explosive showdown. The Martian Successors are preparing for their final attack to the New Earth Federation, and their ability to warp their armies everywhere they want will give them a crushing advantage. Of course, the fact that Axis is getting closer and closer to the Earth as we speak, and that Durandal is waiting for the right moment to play his cards. In other words, whatever happens, you can be sure that our heroes have an uphill battle to deal with... and in all this, Fiona and her friends can't do much more than try to survive, and preserve their precious Excellence in the hope that their research can continue someday.**

**So... let's cut the pleasantries and get down to business! While short, this is going to be a very important moment for the story... for reasons that you will soon understand!**

**Enjoy the new chapter!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 15 - Running To Ruin**

Fiona sighed, as she sat in the Argento Fighter's cockpit while the other two Excellence Frames were being worked on, in an attempt to power them up as much as possible in preparation for the deciding battle with the Martian Successors and their elite squad. While two of the enemy's elite assassins had been taken out, Hokushin and the others were still very dangerous, and worse yet, they could not be expected to underestimate the Nadesico crew anymore.

And there was something that bothered Fiona a lot more than that... how were they going to launch their deciding attack on the Martian Successors' HQ without being detected and intercepted early on? There was no way they could get to Mars - where their enemies' HQ were located - and launch a deciding strike without the Martian Successors gathering all their forces to meet them head-on. And considering that the New Earth Federation was short on resources, that would mean they would have had to fight the Martian Successors head-on, with what little forces the Nadesico could hope to muster.

The situation was not in their favor, not at all.

In an attempt to pass the time before returning to the Nergal Docks in Yokohama, Fiona switched on her console's main screen, givinga quick glance at the daa they had gathered from the recent battles. Several New Earth Federation and Martian Successors units were being displayed upon it, showing their main strenghts and weaknesses... but sadly, Hokushin's red robot, the Yatenkou, still remained a big unknown. Even now, she wasn't much of a match for it... and there wasn't much she could do with just two frames, both of which were pretty straightforward. If only here was the time to develop new weapons, maybe she could hope to catch Hokushn off guard, but with this...

A comm. screen, wih Ruri's face showing up upon it, startled the redhead just as she was about to switch off the console and relax a little, and Fiona quickly stood to attention. "Er... Captain Hoshino, ma'am... sorry about that, I was giving a look to all the data I gathered in the previous fights with the Martian Successors. Is... there anything I might help you with?"

"Nothing, really." Ruri answered. "I merely wanted to warn you that we are nearing th Yokohama bay as we speak. Please prepare to disembark the ship."

"Alright." Fiona concluded as the comm. screen disappeared in front of her eyes. With uncertainty, the girl opened up the Argento Fighter's hatch and dismounted with a leap, landing on the hangar's floor where several crewmembers were busy with setting the ship up for the arrival in Yokohama bay. She could see Ryoko and the other two girls of the old Nadesico crew busying themselves with a few checks on their Aestivalis units... or rather, trying to do so, as Ryoko was snapping at the giggling Izumi - possibly because of one of Izumi's lame puns - and the bubbly Hikaru was covering her mouth with her hand and snickering at the funny scene. Those three weren't exactly what Fiona would expect from a trio of profesional pilots... but after all, what was really needed was that they could do their job well, and Fiona could already attest to that.

"Hey, Fiona!" Lahge called to her from behind, and the redhead turned to see her bespectacled friend and Mitsuko walking up to her. She waved at them as they finally got closer.

"Lahge, Mitsuko!" she greeted. "So... how are things right now?"

"About as well as you might expect... which isn't much, I'm afraid." Mitsuko stated. "We've tried to do what we could in order to give the Excellence more of a fighting chance, but with time against us, there was only so much we could do."

Fiona noddded and smiled at her friend. "You're already doing much more than your share, Mitsuko. Now it's up to me to make sure that all our efforts don't go to waste. If the Martian Successors... or Neo Zeon, or ZAFT for that matter... manage to win, we won't have a future. I will make sure they won't be able to get what they want. Rest assured, I will not allow myself to fail."

"That's good to know, Fiona, but don't push yourself too much." Lahge warned. "We're already short on personnel as it is... we cannot afford to lose a skilled pilot such as you, right?"

Fiona chuckled, used to her friend always pointing out the logical issue. "Hehehee... no prob, Lahge, I won't be too much of a showoff! After all, that wouldn't sit very well with our dashing ace, Takasugi Saburouta, right?"

The three shared a brief laugh, somewhat relieving the tension as the Nadesico-B got closer and closer to the Nergal docks. At least there was a chance to rest up and re-equip themselves before getting back in the action... and now that she could think about it more thoroughly, Fiona found herself wondering what was up with Ruri's idea of having Hari stay back. It was something about an old friend of the Nadesico crew, but there wasn't much else Fiona knew about that...

Anway, there would be plenty of time later to find out... and hopefully, this woud have given them an edge against the Martian Successors.

**oooooooooo**

On board the Ral Kairam, the Archangel and the Eternal, the atmosphere was just as tense, if not even more so. At that moment, the three ships were temporarily moored among a field of debris, with the respective captains illustrating their strategies to the rest of the crew...

"As we speak, Axis has been sent on a collision course with the Earth. We predict that, in about 48 hours, it will have reached the point of no return... after which, there will be nothing to do to keep it from causing a devastating impact that will bring nuclear winter to the Earth." Amuro was expaining, pointing to an orbital map that kept tabs on Axis' position. The minerary asteroid was slowly but surely inching towards the Earth, with both the Neo Zeon and the ZAFT main fleet escorting it. "This is our last chance. We are to destroy Axis or send it away before it gets caught by the Earth's gravitational pull."

"In order to do so..." Murrue Ramius continued."...we will try to meet the enemy forces halfway through and ambush them on two sides. Hopefully, we will be able to put enough of a dent in the enemy's ranks that Axis will be left vulnerable. Our Neutron Jammer Cancellers should be able to make sure that our tactical weapons land on Axis and blow it apart. However, be warned: at the moment, we only have four nuclear missiles left. We can not afford to lose a single one of them."

Lacus continued from her place on the Eternal's main bridge. "Should worse come to worse, that is, should our nuclear missiles be foiled, we will need to penetrate Axis and blow it apart from the inside. This is obviously the risky way, and there is no guarantee that it will work... but given the situation, we are left with little other options. That's the only way Axis' fragments will be catapulted out of the Earth's gravitational pull."

"That will be all." Bright concluded. "This will be our tactic, and we will need to execute it flawlessly. The fate of the Earth is riding upon the success of this operation. I am deeply sorry to ask you such a thing... but I must ask you to entrust your lives to us. Only by working together can we hope to give this crisis something resembling an happy ending."

Bright, Murrue and Lacus all did a military salute... and on the main bridges of the Ral Kairam, the Archangel and the Eternal, all the pilots stood up and responded in kind, ready to give it their all to save their planet...

**oooooooooo**

A little while later, near the Ral Kairam's hangars...

"Oh, but this is crazy..." Chan Agi commented to herself as she read a small sheet of paper she was holding in her right hand. A sheet of paper from Anaheim Industries, revealing some very shocking details about the Psyco Frame that had been implemented in Amuro's Nu Gundam.

"_The truth is... that Psyco Frame has not been developed by our New Materials Development division. The technology for the Psyco Frame had been sent to us directly from Neo Zeon..._"

There was something more to the mail, but Chan was not in the mood to read it now. The discovery had been surprising enough to her already... "How is it possible? The Psyco Frame worked flawlessly... why on Earth would our enemies send us the blueprints that would give us an advantage? Why did Mr. October send us such a note, along with the sample? This makes no sense..."

"Chan? Is anything the matter?" Amuro said, appearing from seemingly nowhere in the room and startling the Chinese girl, who quickly hid the note in a pocket of her uniform. Now was definitely not the right moment to tell Amuro what the deal with the Psyco Frame was.

"Ah... nothing, really, captain Amuro... I was just musing to myself..." Chan answered somewhat uneasily. "And truth be told, I am quite tense about this battle..."

"That's understandable." the ace pilot answered. "After all, thereis much at stake here, and that's not even counting the fact that the Martian Successors are about to unleash an all-out attack. But we cannot let our fears take hold of us... on that matter, Chan, are the Nu Gundam's Fin Funnels working?"

"They are, captain Amuro." she answered, showing the T-shaped Psyco Frame sample she was examining earlier. "I personally checked to see that. On that matter... do you believe that this Psyco Frame, by synchronizing with your Psycomm system, might develop some unknown functions?"

Amuro smiled warmly. "If you are worried about what the higher-ups at Anaheim have said, my answer is not to worry about that." he said, gently approaching. "I am sure that, thanks to the Fin Funnels and your own excellent work, I will be able to defeat Char."

"Captain..." Chan murmured, feeling her heartbeat accelerate as she and Amuro got closer. It was a strange situation for her, and she wasn't sure about what to do... a few seconds were spent in this situation of uncertainty, with both of them locked and staring in each other's eyes...

In the end, their feelings won out, and Amuro and Chan slowly inched towards each other, gently clasping the other's hand in their own... and their lips met in a warm, passionate kiss.

It was a brief one, one that simply served to reassure each other and confirm their feelings for each other... but it still managed to provide some needed relief from the stress of the upcoming battle and all they had endured up until then...

**oooooooooo**

Hathaway sat in his quarters onboard the Ral Kairam, his eyes set in angry frown as he tried to clear hs mind. But no matter how much he tried, he was unabe to shake off those dark thoughts tormenting him... Amuro had said he was sorry about not being able to find Quess and take her back... but Hathaway knew it was a convenient lie - the truth was, Amuro was simply not interested in saving her. That much was clear from the way he had spoken about her: he had already deemed Quess a lost case, without even making an attempt to check whether that was true. Then again, what was he expecting? Grown-ups were all like that... they didn't care about "children", they acted as if they knew better...

Well, Hathaway knew what he had to do now: he had to show them... all of them... that he was not going to simply lie down and accept all they had to say. He was going to go out there and save Quess himself, no matter what Amuro and his father had to say on the matter. This time, there was no way that would fail... he just needed to get his hands on a Mobile Suit and reach out to Quess, and everything would be alright. Or so he thought, at least...

"Wait for me, Quess... I'm sure we can come to an understanding!" he told himself, as if trying to convince himself that it could still be done...

**oooooooooo**

"Well, so this is what it comes down to..." Mwu La Flaga commented, staring at the endless sea of stars from one of the Archangel's corridors. "Chasing after a huge rock and blasting it apart before it gets too close to the Earth... well, not that different from what we usually do, when you think about it! Only, this time we have to let the nukes hit instead of shooting them down."

Murrue Ramius, standing at his side, sighed in mock irritation. "You sure have a way of making it seem easy..." she stated. "It's not exactly like destroying a bunch of nuclear missiles... this time, we're dealing with a huge asteroid whose mass and sheer velocity might allow it to shrug off anything we throw at it."

Mwu was not perturbed in the least. "I know, Murrue... I know we are not dealing with anything that simple... but hey, we've been through worse situations, and we always came out on top! I'm sure Kira, Athrun and the rest of the kids will come out of this just fine!" he answered. "And... hey, you can't blame me for making it sound easy. After all... I am the man who makes the impossible possible, right?"

Murrue managed to chuckle at that, despite the tense situation. "Really, Mwu, you are incorrigible... But, well, you do have a point about that! I... just wanted to you to be careful of what you're doing, I don't want to lose you again like last time..."

"Don't worry about that, Murrue..." Mwu reassured her, gently wrapping an arm around her shoulders and smiled kindly. "I am not going to die right now that I have found something to fight for once again. I will come back, and I will hold victory within my hands this time!"

Murrue smiled sadly. "Please... make sure you can live up to that promise. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you again..." she stated.

**oooooooooo**

In the Eternal's hangars, a trio of young pilots was standing around staring with anticipation at the mighty Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice in front of them. The two new-generation Gundam has only suffered negligible damage during the latest battle, and were now in top condition once again... which was good news, as there was no more time to readjust and fine-tune them before the final battle began. It was all or nothing... and Kira, Athrun and Cagalli knew that very well...

"Well, here we are... facing an asteroid that's speeding towards Earth and trying our darndest to save a world that will consider us nothing more than a bunch of meddling kids..." Cagalli commented sarcastically. "I could think of many better places I'd lke to be in at the moment, but I guess complaining won't help. We'll need to deal with this... and then, hopefully, this war will be over."

"We hope so as well..." Kira stated melanchonically. He was clearly thinking of all the people that had died in all the conflicts he had taken part in, all those he had killed himself, and those he had failed... among which, the girl he had first loved...

This was his last chance to put an end to that pointless fighting. Had they failed, there would be no more Earth... or ZAFT's Destiny Plan would have come true, which was not much better. He knew he had to give it his all, and despite the Strike Freedom's immense strenght, that still might not have been enough.

"We have come a long way since we first met at Helopolis, haven't we?" Kira quietly asked, turning his head to his sister and his best friend. "Back then, I was sure my future was going to be there, working at Mobile Suits' OSs and similar programs. I had no idea we would soon meet, and be involved in such a war."

"Well, that makes two of us..." Athrun said, gently holding Cagalli's hand. "I just hope we will be able to top this madness and get Shinn and Lunamaria to see reason... the Impulse shouldn't be a problem for our new Gundams, but the same can't be said of the Destiny and the Legend..."

"The Legend Gundam..." Kira mused. "Its pilot is Chairman Durandal's right-hand-man Rey Za Burrel, right? Captain La Flaga did have a run-in with him, and he told me to watch out for him... he said there was something about him that eerily reminded him of Rau Le Creuset..."

"In any case, both Shinn and Rey are dangerous opponents... this time, however, we have to come out on top... or else, everything we did up until now will have been in vain..." Cagalli murmured darkly. "We have to stop both them and Neo Zeon... not an easy feat, I'm afraid."

"Well... if that can make you feel better, you know that you will not be alone in this." The three turned at the sound of Lacus' voice calling to them, and saw the pink-haired Terminal leader slowly walk up to them, wearing her trademark battle kimono, and her hair tied in a ponytail behind her head. Kira smiled slightly at her, which she quickly reciprocated before getting to discuss the matter at hand. "First off, we have the support of both the Archangel and the Ral Kairam, which means we have a lot more firepower than just our two new Gundams on our side... plus, remember that the two allied factions... Neo Zeon and ZAFT, I mean... are not as cohesive as they would like us to think. Their goals are too much at odds with each other for their cooperation to last much longer... in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they broke ranks right in the midst of battle."

"Which would obviously be of advantage to us..." Athrun mused. "Well, I would definitely not look at such a gift horse in the mouth. Especially if it means allowing us to get to Axis and blast it apart. But, again, we can't rely on things that might or might not happen. As it is, we can only try to meet this menace head-on... and do our best to stop Axis."

"And we will, Athrun..." Kira told his best friend. "Don't worry about that. We will not give up until we draw breath. Neo Zeon and ZAFT won't have it easy, that much I can assure you."

"And while I might not have a Gundam on par with yours..." Cagalli said, looking at her own Strike Rouge. "I will definitely do my best to help out. Together, we can beat this."

Lacus smiled to herself, feeling glad that, despite the difficult situation they were in, she and her friends at least were motivated, willng and ready to stop Char and Durandal, and hopefully put an end to the fighting that had plagued the Earth Sphere for far too long now...

**oooooooooo**

"Phew... I have to say, I'm really satisfed with how things are turning out!" Quess mused, as she took off her helmet after another bout of Newtype training in the simulator. "I've already gotten used to the Yakt Doga, and soon I'll be able to go on to better and more powerful Mobile Suits! I'm really proud of my progress!"

Gyunei Guss, standing near his own simulator with a rather cross expression on his face, sighed tiredly. "That's good and all, Quess, but don't go getting a big head about this, you know?" he told her. "Any distraction can and will cost you dearly in battle... and a simulator is no substitute for real experience!"

"Look, I know that very well, Gyunei! This is none of your business anyway, so why don't you just leave me alone?" Quess shot back, annoyed at her teammate's tendency of always shooting down her enthusiasm. He seemed to be obsessed with showing that he was better than her, in any situation... and Quess didn't really think much of it. However, something happened to lighten her soured mood - just then, she felt the presence of Colonel Char Aznable entering the training room, and the blond Neo Zeon leader calmly walked up to the pigtailed girl, regarding her with what, to the inexperienced young girl, looked like fatherly pride. "Oh, Colonel... I... apologize, I didn't mean to sound rude..."

"That's okay, Quess... just remember that Gyunei is your teammate as well, and while you are not required to agree with him, you should at least try not to antagonize him. Your teamwork will be vital in the upcoming battles." he stated calmly, casting a glance at Gyunei from time to time. The black-haired artificial Newtype frowned noticeably, annoyed at the fact that Char was clearly saying what Quess wanted him to say... "On that regard, Quess, how was your first battle experience?"

The girl sobered noticeably. "I was not really afraid, Colonel... but I did feel quite ill at a certain part." she answered. "It was like... many people were trying to get in my head... it felt like I was going mad... is that what happens to Newtypes during battles?"

"It's kind of inevitable, actually..." Char stated. "Newtypes are able to feel the anguish and the fear of other people, so it's pretty much a given this happens. This is just one more reason for us to end this war and topple the New Earth Federation. By awakening the Newtype potential latent in all people, no more pointless wars will be fought and no one will have to suffer anymore." He glanced up to Quess once again and smiled kindly at her. "And in order to do this, Quess, I have something that will aid you a lot in this deciding battle. I will have you pilot the Alpha Aziel, the new Mobile Armor we developed. You will have to use that to protect me. Do you think you are up to this, Quess?"

Quess' face pretty much lit up in joy. "You will entrust me with one of your new weapons?" she asked. "Of course I am up to this! You are always so kind to me, Colonel... and it would be unfair of me not to pay your kindness back by staking my life for your ideals! You can trust me with that, I will pilot the Alpha Aziel and fight by your side! Thank you, Colonel!"

Char nodded and smiled to himself in satisfaction. He really had seen correctly, then. Quess was just as powerful a Newtype as he had anticipated, perhaps even more so. She could detect all movements on the battlefield, read other people's emotions at great distance, and use Newtype weapons with barely even the aid of a Psycomm system. He had seen right then... she was exactly the kind of Newtype he needed for the Alpha Aziel...

As Char and Quess walked out of the room, looking to him more and more like a father and his daughter, Gyunei stood there, seething in rage. Once again, Char had managed to outdo him. He needed to cut himself a good showing in the upcoming battle, and capture Amuro's Gundam, or else he would never be able to fight on equal footing with Char and win himself Quess' love. Much was riding on how he would perform later... and he was not about to be upstaged by Quess - he wasgoing to prove himself worthy of her heart!

**oooooooooo**

"And that conlcudes my report for now..." Rey Za Burrel stated, calmly speaking to the image of Chairman Gilbert Durandal that had popped up on his laptop's screen. The dark-haired man nodded graciously, having listened to each and every word his subordinate cum adoptive son had said. Events had taken exactly the kind of turn he had predicted. Now, it was all a matter of doing the right thing at the right moment, and two dangerous enemies would soon be out of the way. "Shinn and Lunamara are both ready and willing to carry out our operation. Sure, Hawke might have some misgivings, but up until now, she has never acted upon them. They can be trusted to fight loyally for us."

"I understand. Thank you for your help, Rey... had it not been for you, we would not have been able to effectively keep an eye on Neo Zeon's activities... and we couldn't know where to strike when the moment was right." he stated. "Very well, our precautions are already in place... as soon as Char assumes victory, we shall see to it that his plan goes awry. You do not have to worry about anything else now, Rey, you have done an excellent job."

"Actually, Gil... there is still something I need to do before everything is over." Rey stated soberly, running an hand through his long, silky blond hair. "Kira Yamato is still around, and the new world cannot begin with him still around. He's the ultimate representation of mankind's greed and pride... as long as he exists, he serves as a reminder of what people driven by their egos can achieve."

"That makes sense..." Durandal answered. "What's more, neither Kira Yamato nor Lacus Clyne have ever shown themselves to be willing to go through with the Destiny Plan. It's a pity, really... were our positions not so diametrically opposite, I dare think that we could have been great allies with them, or perhaps even friends. Then again, regretting things has never been productive..." He glanced down at the floor, again thinking of a regret that had plagued him for a good part of his life. The friend he could not save... "Anyway, I reckon it would be better to interrupt this communication now. We still are not out of the woods, and if the Destiny Plan is to succeed, Neo Zeon must not know anything until the right moment. I wish you good luck, Rey... and I hope we will be able to see the coming of the new order when everything is over."

"Likewise, Gil..." Rey answered with a sad smile, as his adoptive father's image on the screen flickered and then disappeared. The blond boy was left alone in his quarters, in front of the cold, unfeeling screen of his portable computer, staring forlornly at his right hand. It was almost time... the moment of truth was about to come, and the work he and Gil had pursued for pretty much all of his life would soon bear fruit or fail miserably. This was the only chance he would get... he did not have much time left... a few months, one year at the very most...

"We need to succeed, Gil..." he told himself. "For the sake of your dream... and for mine as well... the Destiny Plan will create a world where no one like Kira Yamato or me will ever be born. This world of insatable desires... must soon come to an end, or humanity will not have a future anymore..."

**oooooooooo**

Yokohama Bay, Nergal Docks...

"That's our report on the mission, Admiral Misumaru." Ruri said, saluting politely as she stood at attention, along with Fiona and Ryoko, in front of Admiral Kouichiro Misumaru. "We have managed to locate the former crew of the Nadesico, and we even came in contact with Akito Tenkawa, but we have had an unfortunate run-in with the Martian Successors and their elite squad of assassin, who were trying to eliminate Tenkawa and get ahold of myself. Luckily, Fiona and the reunited Nadesico crew, along with your ally, former Jovian officer Genichiro Tsukuyomi, managed to repel the attack. The Martian Successors have lost two of their own during the battle, while no loss has been incurred by our crew."

"I... understand, Captain Hoshino." Kouichiro said, looking pensive and melanchonic. After all, the fact that they had met Akito once again, even if he was hardly the same person he used to be, reminded him of the fact that his dear daughter Yurika was still in the clutches of Kusakabe and his bunch of terrorists. "It appears that the Martian Successors will soon unleash an all-out offensive on the New Earth Federation... one we won't be able to resist. The only chance we have to survive this... is to warp directly to their HQ and launch our own offensive right then and there, before they can organize themselves. If we let them get the jump on us, it's all over."

"But the question is, exactly, how do we do that?" Fiona asked. "Even if we had an A-class Boson Jumper and enough fuel to be able to warp all the way to Mars... we still wouldn't know where to go exactly. Do we have a chance to learn where the enemy's HQ is located?"

Kouichiro smiled cunningly, and Ryoko immediately bristled, knowing her superior well enough to realize that he had some devious plan in mind... which he had probably put in motion even before the mission to gather the old crew had started! "We most certainly do, miss Grayden! In fact, I do believe we have all the necessary weapons right here as we speak! You do remember that I spoke to you about a project to create the Nadesico-C, an even more powerful model of the Nadesico we all know and love?" he spoke, winking cunningly.

"Er... yes, Admiral, you did mention that." Ryoko answered. "But... what does this have to do with..."

She never had time to finish. All of a sudden, a strange warping sound resonated in the office, followed by a bright light, and a booming sound of engines coming from the landing fields just outside! A huge shadow was cast upon the office, and by taking a look outside, Ruri, Fiona and Ryoko were shocked to see a magnificent, sleek space battleship more than three hundred yards in length, covered in white plates of armor with blue streaks on the sides, that made it look even more formidable! It was heavily armed with Gravity Blast cannons and point-blank defence missiles, and it looked like it could give the whole New Earth Federation army a run for its money! It was a truly awesome sight, hanging inthe air above them and almost blocking out the sun... butmost of all, there was the matter of how such a huge battleship had managed to simply pop up undetected! Despite her bewilderment, Ruri was still smart enough to realize that there was only one plausible explanation to all of that...

"That's a Nadesico-class battleship... and it did a Boson Jump all the way here?" she asked, her amber eyes wide with surprise. "How did this happen? It must have had a Boson Jumper onboard to do that..."

"Hehehee... indeed, it is true!" Kouichiro answered with a chuckle. "Let me introduce you to the latest and most powerful weapon ever developed by Nergal Heavy Industries... the High Mobile Battleship Nadesico-C!"

Fiona, Ryoko and Ruri were about to ask something else... when a comm. window popped up out of nowhere on the Admiral's side, showing the face of someone Ruri never expected to see again - a blond woman around 30 years of age, with ruby lips and a mole under one of her green eyes, and wearing what appeared to be a white labcoat, standing there with a detached, clinical air to herself. A woman both Ruri and Ryoko thought to have been long dead...

"Well, it appears we do meet again, after all." the newcomer said, looking incredibly nonchalant in the face of the three incredulous young women.

Ruri was the first one to regain her wits, and quickly put up her aloof attitude once again. "Inez Fressange... we did not expect you to be still alive." she stated. "Was the news of your demise a deception to throw some people off?"

"Hey, hold on a second! Slow down a little, everybody!" Fiona exclaimed, waving her hands about! "You lost me when that new Nadesico showed up! Who's this woman? Why is she here, and what does she have to do with this whole mess?"

"This woman here..." Ryoko answered, frowning at Inez. "Is Dr. Inez Fressange, a researcher who was onboard the Nadesico during its first mission, and the world's greatest auhority on Boson Jumping. She is also an A-class Boson Jumper herself, and there are quite a lot of things we could tell you about her... but we thought she had perished in an accident following Akito and Yurika's disappearence. What's the meaning of all this?"

The door to the Admiral's office slid open with a dull sound, and annother person, another one that Fiona had never seen before, entered the room with a prideful gait, his classy business suit providing a sharp contrast with the military-style uniforms worn by everyone else. With his long dark hair and his playful attitude, he looked quite confident and at ease... which was not surprising, considering who he was: another old acquaintance of the Nadesico crew, Nagare Akatsuki, the Chairman of Nergal Heavy Industries himself and a former pilot of the Nadesico!

"Well, everything will be explained to you... right now!" the young chairman said light-heartedly. "But for now, you just need to know that we of Nergal were the ones who hid miss Fressange when she seemed to have disappeared from the face of Earth."

Ruri, well conscious of the shady dealings Nergal had done in the past, and of the fact that much of the responsability for the Earth-Jupiter war fell upon them, turned to Nagare, afixing him with a distant, yet meaningful, glare. "Chairman Nagare Akatsuki of Nergal, indeed... what is your part in this? Should we consider you a good guy or a bad guy, this time?"

Fiona frowned a little, as Nagare laughed jovially. "Hahahaaa! Now, now, Ruri, you should know better than I do that things aren't exactly so black and white! We... simply did what we had to do, given the situation... which Dr. Fressange will be able to explain to you right now! Am I right, Dr. Fressange?"

Despite not being exactly Nagare's number one fan in the Earth Sphere, Inez couldn't help but agree with him, this time. "That's true..." she said from her comm. window, on Admiral Misumaru's side. "When Akito and Yurika Misumaru disappeared, we knew that it was part of a larger plot, though we didn't know the details at the time. Therefore, Nergal arranged for my disappearence, making it pass for an accident, and hid me for the public eye, in order to throw off the ringleaders of all this chaos. In the meanwhile, while the Martian Successors were busy working up their own Hisago Plan, we prepared our own countermoves... and now, thanks to the help of Hari Makibi here, we have all the pieces in place, and ready to checkmate the Martian Successors. With Hari's collaboration, we have managed to execute a successful Bosom Jump, and we reached this place without any problem."

At these words, Hari timidly showed up from being Inez, waving at the three girls, and Ruri nodded in assent, approving of her young subordinate's work.

"First off, I believe an explanation of how the Martian Successors' plan will work is in order." Inez continued. "The reason they kidnapped Akito and Yurika Misumaru was because they needed an A-Class jumper to be linked to the Black Box of Boson Juming... that is, the ruins of the ancient Martian civilization, in order to control them at their leisure and be able to execute Boson Jumps in any part of the universe. As of now, they have used Yurika Misumaru to control the Bosom Jump effect, by feeding her false memories of herself and Akito. Thanks to their mutual love, Akito and Yurika have become the Martian Successors' main weapons."

"That's just sick..." Fiona stated, her already great hatred for the terrorist organization increasing tenfold.

"However, there is still a chance to turn things around." Nagare stated. "The Martian Successors will attack soon, but now we have managed to pinpoint their HQ's position, and it should not be long before we are able to launch an attack ourselves. Are you up to this? It won't be easy..."

Fiona, Ruri and Ryoko looked at each other and nodded, with Ryoko clenching her fist and getting ready for the fight to come. It was now or never... and the future of the Earth Sphere, along with the fate of the people they all cared about, was at stake!

"Count me in." Ryoko muttered darkly. "Those bastards who did that to Akito and Yurika will pay."

"Same goes for me. I can't sit idle and watch while such atrocities happen." Fiona said.

Ruri said nothing, but her determined nod was all she needed to affirm her will.

"That's good, then." Kouichiro said. "We'll begin preparatives right now. Time is of the essence, and we won't get a second chance."

**oooooooooo**

A few hours later...

The fleets flanking Axis separated themselves from the enormous asteroid as it sped up, beginning a slow but inexorable descent towards Earth, with the Terminal forces being the only thing between it and its target. The engines roared to life, pushing Axis to its terminal velocity... and the Neo Zeon and ZAFT fleets began to get in formation, ready to greet the Terminal forces as soon as they would show up.

"Go, Axis." Char said, sitting in his blood-red Sazabi's cockpit. "Fall along with all the abominable memories!"

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Author's Note: Next chapter, the action really gets going as the deciding battle begins! Can Fiona and her friends, thanks to the brand new Nadesico-C, stop Kusakabe and his Martian Successors? Can Terminal destroy Axis and foil the Destiny Plan? Get ready for an explosive, shattering finale... or is it?**

**See you soon, and Happy New Year! **


	16. Towards The Deciding Moment

**Super Robot Wars S**

**I'm back, everybody! This story is back in gear and ready to be updated... and now, the moment of truth has come as the defenders of humanity get to face the Martian Successors and the joint forces of Neo Zeon and ZAFT! It will be a time for reckoning for all parties involved, and some may not walk away from this fight alive... but most of all, what will be the destiny of Fiona and her friends? Will they have a nasty surprise coming, and will they manage to uncover a few mysteries while they're at it?**

**The answers will start to come soon. For now, get ready to witness the start of the deciding battle. Things will soon come to a shocking swerve that will forever change everything about the world as the characters know it! So... fasten your seat belts, and get ready to rumble! This is going to be tough...**

**And peanuts are not sold on board!**

**Okay, that was probably the lamest intro to a chapter I have ever written... but hopefully, the chapter in itself will make up for it! Therefore, enjoy!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 16 - Towards The Deciding Moment**

Mars. An immense, seemingly dead extension of land that has witnessed some of the most devastating wars ever fought between humans during the last century. It was here that the fabled Ruins of Mars, the Black Box that controls the very flow of time, have been discovered... and it was here that the Nadesico-A, a few years before this moment, had managed to put an end to the war between Earth and the Jovians, by sending the coveted artifact in a faraway place where it would hopefully stay out of the clutches of both factions...

Up until a few days ago, that is.

Now, Mars had become the hiding place for one of the most dreadful and inhuman terrorist organizations the Earth Sphere has ever known - the Martian Successors, led by the former high-ranking Jovian officer Haruki Kusakabe, whose ambition to overthrow the New Earth Federation and install a new order, based on his twisted concept of "absolute righteousness", has caused untold suffering to countless people. Now, this shadowy group was planning their ultimate triumph, thanks to the unwittting cooperation of former Nadesico captain Yurika Misumaru... and both Kusakabe and his right-hand man Aritomo Shinjo couldn't wait for the right moment to come!

"So, professor... what's the situation? I trust we're pretty much ready to launch our deciding strike, are we not?" Kusakabe asked, approaching his main scientific advisor, Yoshio Yamasaki, from behind as the cheerful-looking scientist was busy typing away at a keyboard, in front of a giant screen upon which the immobile, statue-like body of Yurika Misumaru was being shown. Aritomo was a few steps behind, silently waiting for an answer... which came a few seconds later, after Yamasaki had finished typing and entering a few coordinates.

"We have this firmly in our hands, Leader Kusakabe." the scientist said, in a smug, self-assured tone. "We just need to send all the right instructions to our princess' brain, intermixing them with some romantic images in order for her to believe that she's with her prince... and bingo! She will instantly Boson Jump our fleets exactly where they can inflict the most damage! The Earth Sphere will fall in short order!"

"Right... and so will the ZAFT and Neo Zeon forces, as soon as we have regrouped!" Aritomo stated with cruel satisfaction. "That's good... finally, the project our esteemed Leader has been working towards will be fulfilled. How much longer until everything is ready for the takeover, professor?"

Yamasaki shrugged in a very easygoing manner. "At this rate, I can estimate no longer than two or three hours." he stated. "Therefore, I'd suggest you send a message to all our troops to stand ready for the Boson Jump, Leader Kusakabe. We want them to be pumped and ready to take on everything the New Federation might throw at us, right?"

Kusakabe smirked nastily. "That goes without saying, professor. Fine, then... we'll regroup for now, and then we'll send all our troops against..."

The leader of the Martian Successors was startled when his words were covered by the blaring sound of an alarm, and the personnel in the lab all stood up from their places and looked around themselves in wonder and doubt. Just when the plan was literally hours away from being realized, something unexpected had happened and had thrown a wrench right into it! Although they had no idea what that might actually have been...

"What? What is the meaning of this?" Kusakabe exclaimed in indignation, his previous good mood taking a sudden plunge at the news. Indeed, even Aritomo and Yamasaki seemed to be rather surprised at this. The alarm could only mean that someone was hot on their trail... but how could they be? They were sure the Martian Successors' HQ was beyond their enemies' ability to reach! "Someone is approaching this place? Who is that?"

"We... we have no idea, Leader Kusakabe!" Aritomo exclaimed, before roughly addressing the techs present in the large room. "Give us a report, immediately! Scan the proximities and locate all incoming units!"

"Right away!" another male voice answered from the consoles. A few seconds and a few presses of buttons later, a gasp was heard from the same man who had just spoken, and he stood up in his chair in surprise and sudden panic. "We... we have a Nadesico-class battleship coming our way! It's an unknown model, Leader Kusakabe! And it's joined by a group of Aestivalis units... and the unknown unit our elite troops faced on Amaterasu and on Earth!"

"What?" Kusakabe exclaimed, gritting his teeth in anger. Even the ever-smiling Yamasaki found himself frowning noticeably as the screen in front of him changed to a map of their HQ's proximities, upon which several blips were lighting up, each signifying an enemy unit coming up. What's more, they were simply appearing out of nowhere, which could only mean that the enemy had Boson Jumped all the way there, using some means the Martian Successors were unaware of! And now, there was no time to evacuate or to fall back... they had to hold off their attack on the New Earth Federation, fend off this unexpected assault and hopefully manage to keep enough forces to continue their operations later!

"Damn Nergal..." Kusakabe growled, clenching his fists. "So, you will oppose the way of absolute righteousness until the end? Well then, you shall see what happens when you do that! We shall smite you down with our fist of justice, and we will make sure nothing remains of you! You shall regret defying us! All units, prepare to scramble! Beat back the invaders, crush them underfoot... and scatter them to the ends of the galaxy!"

"R-right away, Leader Kusakabe!" Aritomo stammered, more than a little frightened by his leader's furious tirade. "Emergency call! Unauthorized Boson Jump located in the proximities of HQ! All available pilots, board your units and launch all unmanned weapons! We have to fend off the Nergal forces!"

In a few seconds, the previously quiet main base of the Martian Successors had descended into utter chaos, as all hands scrambled to their stations and the hangars were opened, releasing all the battle-worthy units the terrorist organization could muster...

**oooooooooo**

"Well... this is surely unexpected!" Fiona stated, her Excellence-S keeping up the pace with the Nadesico-C and the Aestivalis units on foot as they made their way through the chilly landscape of Mars' North Pole. "We have actually managed to infiltrate the Martian Successors' network and hijack their Boson Jump algorithm in order to reach the proximities of their HQ! Again, we have to thank Captain Hoshino and Hari for that!"

Hikaru laughed heartilly from her custom Aestivalis' cockpit. "Hehehehee... yeah, we really wouldn't know what to do without them! I'm sure we have victory right in our hands now!" she exclaimed. "Okay, let's get this over with quickly!"

"Hey, Hikaru, don't get cocky!" Ryoko chided. "We have the Martian Successors' HQ right in front of us... and it won't be long before those guys send all they have at us! This time, it won't be a scattered attack force... we're up against the bulk of their army!"

"So what? We can still take them!" Fiona exclaimed, eager to put that matter to aswift end. "My Excellence-S is ready for action! Lahge, MItsuko... what's the situation onboard the Nadesico-C?"

"_We have this under control, Fiona!_" Mitsuko's musical voice answered from a comm screen that opened up over the Excellence-S' main console. "_We have managed to come unscathed out of the Boson Jump... and all systems are operating at maximum efficiency!_"

"_Still, we reccomend you use maximum caution when dealing with the Martian Successors._" Lahge reminded her. "_Their elite attack force will come soon enough, and we have no idea what other units they have available! Stay close to the Nadesico-C, and don't try to overdo it!_"

"Got it!" Fiona answered. "Don't worry, though... as long as we work as a team, we can beat anything those bastards throw at us! We have our Aestivalis units... and we have Genichiro's Alstroemeria to count on! Not to mention... I'm pretty sure that black mobile Armor thing and Akito will soon pop up and help us in this fight! It's personal for him, after all..."

"Let's not talk aboout this for now..." Genichiro stated, and Fiona quickly bit her lip, mentally kicking herself for bringing up such a delicate topic in the urgency of the moment. The white Alstroemeria, its extendable claws almost gleaming as it hovered close to the Nadesico-C, got into a fighting stance just as the Martian Successors' HQ was visible in the distance, its ominous form dominating the desolate, icy landscape. Several robots were taking flight from it, making a beeline for the Nadesico-C...

And on board the mighty battleship, Ruri decided not to take this lightly. "Minato, I need a visual of the attacking units. Zoom in on them."

"Right away, Captain!" Minato said with a determined frown. The stakes were personal for her as well, after all... it had been Kusakabe's fault if the man she loved had been killed. However, she quickly shook herself out of her reverie as the images of the attacking army became clearer... and, much to her surprise, she could see that there were several old Jovian robots among them, the kind used back when she was the helmswoman for the Nadesico-A! There were several Battas, yellow bug-like robots used as shock troops during the first phases of the earlier war... and she could easily make out even two or three Jovian Gekigan Types, colossal war machines piloted by the aces of the Jovian army! Humanoid in shapes, reaching a staggering 160 feet in height, they resembled the robots from the old-school cartoon the Jovian loved so much - Gekiganger 3, the mainstay of their whole culture! They had heavily armored torsos of gaudy colours, with a Gravity Blast cannon mounted on their breastplate, thin arms and legs, three long fingers for each hand, and a small head adorned with a couple of small, curved horns. And worst of all, a shimmering Distortion Field was visible around them...

"We have a visual, Captain Hoshino!" Minato exclaimed. "Jovian Battas and Gekigan-type robots among them... a Tetsujin and a Daimajin among them! Also, a great number of Madura and New Federation Sternkugels... the latter of which have certainly been given to them by inside agents..."

"Understood. All hands to battle stations, we have to meet them head-on." Ruri ordered, without missing a beat. "Charge up the Gravity Blast and get ready for a first attack, we need to take advantage of every moment we have."

"Acknowledge!" the purple-haired, freckle-faced Megumi Reinald, who had been the communication officer even during the Jovian war, answered, before opening a comm channel to all pilots. "Attention, all pilots! The Nadesico-C is charging up the Gravity Blast! Make way for a clear shot, we are targetting the Martian Successors' main fleet!"

"Send the fleet fleeing, Cap!" Izumi Maki answered, never resisting the chance to throw one of her debatable puns. As she giggled, a collective groan was heard from the other Aestivalis pilot, and Ryoo took advantage of the moment to tell her teammate exactly what she thought of her jokes...

"Quit your damn clowning, Izumi!" Ryoko yelled, an angry vein popping up on her forehead as she piloted her Aestivalis away from the range of the Nadesico-C's destructive Gravity Blast.

Saburouta chuckled at that. "My, my... someone needs to get laid here!"

Despite the situation they were in, Fiona couldn't help but chuckle at the witty banter between the Nadesico pilots, before moving directly under the ship and mentally preparing herself. The enemy fleet was quickly closing in, but the Nadesico-C's Gravity Blast cannons were already powering up... and the Martian Successors' army was forced to hastily scatter as they understood what was going on...

Sadly, for a good chunk of them, it was already too late: with the roar of an enraged beast, the Nadesico-C fired a huge, solid beam of pure gravitational force, a torrent of destructive power strong enough to warp space, which tore through the chilled atmosphere of Mars and struck the enemy dead-on! Several Martian Successors' units were hit by the destructive blast and were reduced into smithreens, and the sky soon lit up in a plethora of explosions!

"Got them!" Fiona cheered. "That will make things a little bit easier!"

"Yeah... but we don't have much time to cheer." another male voice interrupted, as a deep blue Aestivalis took the lead the moment the Gravity Blast died down. Chairman Nagare Akatsuki, at the helm of his own customized Aestivalis, had joined the attack force. "They will regroup soon enough, and the Nadesico-C has neither the time nor the energy to charge up another blast. We have thinned down the enemy ranks to an acceptable level, but from now on, it's all on us!"

"No problem!" Ryoko exclaimed. A few Battas and Maduras were already closing in, firing barrages of missiles which soon obstructed the entire view! With the quickness that comes from experience and hundreds of battles, Ryoko and her friends powered up their Distortion Fields, allowing the missiles to slam upon their invisible shields and explode upon impact, leaving all of them unharmed! Soon after, all the Aestivalis pilots produced their Rapid Rifles and fired a barrage of shots against the attacking robot, blasting several Battas into oblivion! A Madura tried to blindside them, but just as its pilot got ready to use the mass-produced robot's cone-shaped missiles, Genichiro's Alstroemeria closed the distance in the blink of an eye, and the Martian Successor could only gape, his eyes wide, as the former Jovian ace took a swing and impaled the Madura's cockpit along with the pilot!

"Ugh..." the dying Martian Successor gurgled, choking on his own blood. "You can... kill me... but... the new order..."

Genichiro didn't listen, and he quickly disengaged and retreated, letting the fatally damaged Madura plummet to the icy ground and explode. The Nadesico-C itself was releasing a salvo of missiles, providing cover for the pilots and stopping the Martian Successors from attacking en masse... but while the battle had started off well enough for the Nadesico-C, the worst was yet to come...

"Not bad for a start..." she murmured to herself, as she swatted a Batta away with a single swing of the Excellence's clawed arm. "But I haven't seen that red guy and his friends around... I'm sure we still have our work cut out for us!"

**oooooooooo**

At the same time, as Axis was approaching Earth, the Terminal forces were about to approach the falling asteroid on two sides, hoping to catch Neo Zeon and ZAFT in a pincer formation. However, even now, it was obvious that stopping the enemies was going to be a tall order: the enemy Mobile Suits were surrounding the huge asteroid on all sides, hovering near it with their weapons drawn and ready to shoot down anything that approached. And it was plain that the enemies were way more numerous than the Terminal forces...

Amuro's Nu Gundam, joined by Kira's Strike Freedom and Athrun's Infinite Justice, had taken the lead of the allied forces, while all the other units were launching from the Ral Kairam, the Archangel and the Eternal. "Kira, Athrun... you try and take the Neo Zeon fleet on both sides! I'll provide a distraction and then try to open up a path through the fleet! Be careful, the Destiny and Legend should not be far away from here!" the young captain ordered.

"Alright, captain Amuro!" Kira answered, his brand new Strike Freedom already beginning to cut a swathe through a battallion of Geara Dogas and ZAKU Warriors, the Infinite Justice quickly going in the opposite direction to throw off the opposition. "Athrun, I'll be going in this direction and try to get to Axis! Good luck to you!"

"Thanks, Kira! Likewise!" the blue-haired ZAFT ace answered, his purple Infinite Justice drawing its beam sabers and getting ready for some fierce fighting. Neo Zeon and ZAFT units were swarming them from all sides... but the aces were not about to take this laying down, and quickly crippled the opposition in a flurry of slashes and beams.

"This is too easy..." Amuro said. His Nu Gundam's Fin Funnels had taken flight, and were darting around him, blasting all enemy units that tried to approach. "Neo Zeon and ZAFT are deliberately trying to hold off for now... they'll send the big guns soon enough! Ral Kairam, what's the situation?" he then contacted the mothership, in an attempt to assess the situation.

"_All units are heading out right now as we speak!_" Captain Bright answered readily. "_Warrant Officer Chan Agi and her Re-GZ are ready, and so is Lt. Kayra Su with her Jegan. More units are launching from the Eternal and the Archangel._"

"That's good..." Amuro stated, his Newtype senses reassuring him that his beloved Chan was now out of the hangars and had joined the fight. Her jet-like Re-GZ was putting up a good fight, its wing-mounted Beam Cannons striking down a GOUF Ignited who had gotten way too close to the Archangel. Amuro interrupted the communication and drew the Nu Gundam's beam saber, heading towards Axis at top speed...

But another jolt coming from his Newtype powers alerted him about an incoming danger... and he quickly turned to the massive Axis standing right in front of him, feeling an overwhelming pressure coming from one of its main hangars. As he zoomed in with the Nu Gundam's cameras, he was able to make out several battleships, of both ZAFT and Neo Zeon design, hovering near the asteroid, and among them were the two superpowers' respective flagships, the Minerva and the Rewloola. But that was not what worried Amuro Ray the most... the alarming thing was the giganic Mobile Armor, as big as one of the flagships if not more, that was just now getting ready to battle!

It was a truly enormous machine, a greyish-white color all over with red highlights over what seemed to be thrusters and built-in weapons. It was roughly humanoid in shape, but in place of the legs were a gigantic pair of cylindric thrusters hanging off a skirt-like structure, and the shoulder pad were enormous and ended with a pair of small "hands" placed at each tip. The head was very small compared to its overall size - some 300 feet in length, possibly even more - and it was surmounted by a spike-like weapon that Amuro quickly guessed to be some kind of powerful gun. Furthermore, several funnels were placed on its body, ready to attack at the pilot's idle whim...

"Dammit... I don't know what that thing is, but this is going to be trouble!" Amuro muttered to himself. As his Newtype senses could feel more clearly the pressure coming from the gargantuan Mobile Armor, he frowned, understanding who was at the helm of that terrifying weapon. "This feeling of hostility... it can't be Char, it's too simple-minded... Quess? Is that her inside that thing?"

**oooooooooo**

"Hahahahaaaa! Here come the enemies! Come on, let me shoot you down!" Quess laughed dementedly as she piloted Neo Zeon's latest weapon, the colossal Mobile Armor known as Alpha Aziel towards the bulk of the Terminal forces, with Gyunei's Yakt Doga trying to keep up the pace. Gone was pretty much any sign of the cheerful and naive girl that had joined Char a few days ago during her stay in Londenion... Quess seemed to have become a killing machine for all intents and purpouses!

"Hey, Quess! Don't let that Mobile Armor get to your head!" Gyunei warned her, cursing his bad luck that Char had decided to let her pilot the Alpha Aziel. That would mean, he would get less chances to show his prowess... his Yakt Doga's power was hopelessly outclassed by the Alpha Aziel's, and Quess was clearly more than capable of holding her own with it!

In fact, Quess seemed to be unmindful of her comrade's warning: with a mere thought, she caused the funnels lined up on the Alpha Aziel's massive body to detach and fly at the opposition, before raining down a massive attack towards a group of hapless Murasames! The ORB Mobile Suits were reduced to nothing more than molten heaps of scrap metal in a few, terrifyingly short seconds, and the Alpha Aziel ponderously continued its flight towards the main fleet...

Near the Minerva, Heine Westenfuss whistled in a mixture of admiration and awe. "Phew... I'm sure glad I'm not on that thing's wrong side!" he stated. "I doubt any but the most skilled of our pilots could handle that monster... that Quess girl sure knows her stuff!"

"Whatever..." Rezun Schneider, the most skilled Oldtype pilot in Neo Zeon's army, answered with a nasty sneer. Her custom blue Geara Doga had taken the lead of a unit of Geara Doga and ZAKU Warriors, and was getting ready to engage the enemy. "I don't really care about that funky Newtype crap... I prefer to do things the good old-fashioned way! Everyone, follow me! We'll try to distract Terminal and shoot down their nuclear warheads as they approach Axis! We must not fail!"

Her platoon quickly followed her Geara Doga and joined the battle, which had already begun to get heated, and Heine decided it was time for him and his troops to show what they were all about, too! "Well then... guess I'd better get a move on!" he stated. "Everyone, in formation! Get ready to intercept!"

**oooooooooo**

"You will not get even lose to the Colonel!" Quess yelled in fury. Her Alpha Aziel was doing quick work of an entire battallion, and every weapon her enemies had tried to use had either been nullified by an invisible I-Field that surrounded the massive Mobile Armor, or had simply proved too weak to hinder it. The head-mounted mega particle gun fired, spewing a torrent of beams in all directions and decimating a group of GM-3s, before getting blindsided by a volley from three DOM Troopers' bazookas. The I-Field proved useless against mass-based attacks, and the projectiles exploded upon the Alpha Aziel's side, causing Quess to bite her tongue in annoyance and be thrown back in her pilot's seat!

"Hah! Don't make me laugh, they're sending a little girl in battle with this gaudy toy?" Mars, of the Terminal forces' Black Tri-Stars, chuckled arrogatly as he tried to weave around the massive Mobile Armor, soon to be joined by his comrades Herbert and Hilda.

"Mars, don't get too cocky!" Hilda called him out on his self-assuredness. "If she made it to Char's elite forces and was given such a powerful Mobile Armor, she's obviously good! Don't underrate her!"

"Alright, chief! But I'm sure we can take such a huge target!" Herbert answered, pointing his bazooka at the Alpha Aziel as well. "Now, here's something extra, kiddo! For Lady Lacus!"

"For Lady Lacus!" Mars and Hilda echoed, firing their rocket launchers at the exact same time. This time, however, Quess was prepared and, frowning in annoyance, she maneuvered two of her funnels in order to shoot down the attacks with a surgeon's accuracy! A few laser beams struck the bazooka shells in mid-flight, causing them to explode as the startled Black Tri-Stars took a step backwards!

"What?" Hilda exclaimed, her unpatched eye widening in horror as it began to dawn on her just how outclassed they were.

Quess smirked almost cruelly. "Bugs. Did you really think you could give me trouble with those jokes?" she said. "Well, sorry to disappoint you... and now, you die!"

The funnels turned on the DOM Troopers in the blink of an eye... and before Mars and Hilda could understand what was going on, a couple of shining beams rained down on their Mobile Suits, cutting through their armor like a hot Swiss knife through butter! The two DOM Troopers stood still for a split second, as if expressing disbelief... and then, they went up in a huge, spherical ball of fire, only leaving their pilots time for a chopped-off scream before they were obliterated along with their suits!

"Mars! Chief Hilda!" Herbert exclaimed in horror, seeing his companions vanish before his very eyes. Then, he grit his teeth and tried to evade the Alpha Aziel's next attack, causing the laser to strike a nearby asteroid and blow it up. Unfortunately for Herbert, he didn't even have time to take a breath before the hands placed on the gigantic Mobile Armor's shoulder pads extended... and a barrage of lasers came from the extended fingertips, severing both of the DOM's arms and its head at the same time, before another beam struck the crippled Mobile Suit dead center. Herbert grit his teeth and silently cursed Neo Zeon and their alliance... before his life, too, was extinguished in a huge fireball and a deafening blast!

"Tch... they were nothing..." Quess murmured to herself. "Did they really think they could raise a finger to the Colonel?" Her eyes quickly darted to the other side of the battlefield, from which more Terminal units and battleships were approaching. "More enemies, huh? I'll defeat you all! I won't even let you close to Axis!"

**oooooooooo**

"You can't just lash out against anyone... that just won't do, Quess..." Hathaway whispered to himself, sneaking inside one of the Ral Kairam's hangars and slowly inching towards a GM-3 that had been left unattended for some reason. A faint smile appeared on the young teenager's lips as he understood that this was his best chance to get out there and save Quess from her fate. If only he managed to get out of the hangar, he would locate Quess using his own Newtype powers, and then he would manage to talk her down, and bring herback to sanity... he'd show all those cocky adults that he had been able to do what they deemed impossible...

The young boy quickly seized his chance: with no one there to stop him, Hathaway dashed to the GM-3 and quickly climbed into the cockpit, shutting the hatch behind him and activating the mass-produced Mobile Suit just the way he was used to in the simulators! With a determined frown, he maneuvered the GM-3 and headed towards the exit of the hangar, while a few technicians around the place tried to do something to stop him from going out!

"What? Who's taking that GM-3?"

"Damn... that's the Captain's son, Hathaway! What's gotten into him?"

"Hey, kid! Get off that thing, you don't know wat you're doing!"

Hathaway ignored that and tried to get away before his father could open a comm channels to him and repeat to him that the battlefield was too dangerous for him. He had to at least try... he had to save Quess, before it was too late!

"Hold on, Quess... I'm coming! I will save you!" the young boy murmured, switching his communicators off. His GM-3's thrusters came to life, and he flew out in space, concentrating hard to find Quess among all those people fighting...

**oooooooooo**

"SAY WHAT?" Bright exclaimed, his almost legendary cool head flying out of the window as soon as the news came. "Hathaway... sneaked out of his room and hijaced a GM-3? And now... he's heading out in battle all on his own?"

"I'm... I'm afraid so, Captain Bright..." Astonage Mendoza meekly answered. Seeing the famed Bright Noah freak out was not something that happened every day... "There was nothing we could do to stop him, too... at this rate, the only thing we can really do is try and get someone to bring him back to the ship."

"Alright... then try to do so as fast as you can!" Bright stated, trying to keep his emotions under control even though things looked more and more desperate by the minute. The fleet was struggling to get through Neo Zeon and ZAFT's defences, and some of the enemy's numbers were already bearing down on them... "Which one of our pilots is closest to the Ral Kairam, right now?"

"That would be Warrant Officer Chan Agi and Lt. Kayra Su, Captain Bright!" a bridge operator answered quickly. "I'll open up a communication to their Mobile Suits, and hopefully they'll be able to do something about this..."

"Thanks... see that you do!" Bright thanked him, before dropping back on his commander's seat. The battle had not started well... and this worry, along with the rest, was seriously testing him. However, he knew that he could not afford to break down... if he did, the morale of all the soldiers who had entrusted their lives to him would plummet, and the whole operation would have been put in serious jeopardy!

He took a deep breath to rein his emotions in, and stood up again. "Do not falter, everyone! We can still win this! Pull away from the main enemy fleet, and ready the Ral Kairam's close-range defences! We have to protect the Eternal and the Archangel!"

"Right!" his men answered, as they went to their own station, redoubling their efforts to keep the Ral Kairam intact...

**oooooooooo**

"What? Hathaway has... okay... okay, I'll see what I can do!" Chan answered the call from her Re-GZ's cockpit, startled by what she had just learned. She did a quick scan of her proximities... and grit her teeth when she saw that, in fact, a GM-3 had taken off from the Ral Kairam without permission! There was no mistaking it... that simple-minded determinationcming from it... it couldn't be anyone other than Hathaway! "Ugh... just what we didn't need in such a situation! What's gotten into you, Hathaway? Well, I for one am not going to stand here and watch you throw away your own life!"

The young Chinese woman disengaged, sending a barrage of missiles against a group of ZAFT units and blasting two ZAKU Warriors apart before going after Hathaway's MS at top speed! With a skill few would have expected from such a gentle-looking woman, she dodged a few lasers coming from another enemy group and fired back with her own wing-mounted guns... but she was forced to another, even more desperate, dodge as a blue Geara Doga swept down on her, holding a dangerous-looking heat axe! The superheated weapon nicked her Re-GZ's right wing and caused her to lose balance for a moment... but she quickly recovered and, gritting her teeth in frustration, she turned to face the new enemy.

"Where do you think you're going, Newtype?" Rezun Schneider, the pilot of the customized Geara Doga, exclaimed, almost spitting out the last word in disgust. "I am going to be your opponent now!"

"I have no time for you!" Chan shot back, firing another beam which Rezun swiftly dodged. "My friends need my help!"

Rezun smirked. "Well then, I'm afraid you'll have to squeeze me into your schedule somehow!" she answered, as she got ready to hack the Re-GZ's wings apart with her axe. "Now, be on your guard! I am not going to lose to you, and those annoying kids aren't here to distract me!"

Understanding that Rezun was talking about Quess and Gyunei, Chan concentrated harder, in an attempt to take down her new opponent before it was too late for Hathaway...

**oooooooooo**

Back on Mars, the battle between the Nergal forces and the Martian Successors was underway... and it was turning the desolated, frosty landscape into a veritable inferno of explosions and molten metal as the Aestivalis and the Excellence-S hacked Martian Successors units apart, the Nadesico-C supporting from a safe distance. Several Battas, Maduras and Sternkugels had been destroyed by the Nadesico pilots... but the worst was still to come, as three Gekigan-types were swiftly approaching, blinking in and out of existance as they executed one Boson Jump after the other! A Daimajin, a Tetsujin and a Denjin, towering over the Aestivalis units, wee now in close proximities... and the first of them opened up its chest-mounted Gravity Blast cannon, charging up a destructive beam!

Ryoko and her friends remembered those terrors all too well... but fortunately, they had enough experience with them not to be awed by their sheer size! "Alright, everybody... follow my lead! We have to distract these behemoths' attention and keep them from getting close to the Nadesico!" she exclaimed, firing a volley from her Rapid Rifle, which bounced harmlessly off the Daimajin's Distortion Field.

"Got it, Ryoko!" Hikaru exclaimed giddily.

Izumi smirked. "Big, dumb and loud. Just the way I like them." the long-haired Aestivalis pilot said with a chuckle, before her emerald green Aestivalis seared upwards in an attempt to divert the Gekigan-type units' attention. As the girls and Akatsuki each flew in different directions to throw off the gigantic robots, Genichiro, Saburouta and Fiona all did their best to fend off the minor Martian Successor units.

"C'mon, Ryoko! Do your best, girls! We'll cover you!" the redhaired girl cheered on the Aestivalis pilots as she executed a flawless Crusher Kick on an enemy mass-produced Aestivalis that had committed the mistake of getting too close. The Excellence-S leapt in the air, its verniers sustaining it for a couple seconds before falling down and delivering a mighty kick to the opponent, which separated the mass-produced Aestivalis' head from its shoulders. A little farther away, Genichiro's Alstroemeria had just gutted a Sternkugel with ts claws, and Saburouta' Super Aestivalis had used its railgun to blow a mssive hole into an enemy Madura, causing it to detonate. The Nadesico-C fired more missiles, and kept the incoming enemy reinforcements at bay, so that Fiona and the other pilots only had to do with a limited number of them at a time. "Okay, we're managing it! Let's keep this up!"

The Gekigan-types were now advancing at great steps towards the remaining four Aestivalis units, who seemed to be unable to do much against enemies much bigger than they were... however, they had not counted on the skills of the original Aestivalis trio! Ryoko and her companions were too fast for the enemies' Gravity Blasts to connect, and were using the Gekigan-types' close proximity to one another as a way to hinder their own attacks... and Akatsuki himself was doing a good job of fending off all of the enemies' attempts to shoot him down!

The Denjin did a mighty sweep with one of its massive arms, but Hikaru swiftly dodged the blow and attacked with her Aestivalis' close-combat knife as the metallic limb slashed the air below her. A shower of sparks came from the gash, and the Denjin stumbled backwards, as if its pilot was in disbelief that such a puny opponent was able to damage it... and all of a sudden, the other two girls and Akatsuki broke off their own engagments, leaving their opponents dumbfounded, and attacked the damaged Denjin! The Aestivalis units' fists were surrounded by a shimmering aura as the pilot concentrated the Distortion Fields around the knuckles... and in desperation, the Martian Successor piloting the Denjin powered up his own Distortion Field to the max, hoping to repel the combined assault! A chilling screeching noise was heard as the Distortion Field clashed... and soon enough, the Denjin's protective shield was overwhelmed and short-circuited under the pressure of the combined attack! Fiona cheered from the sidelines, while Ryoko and Akatsuki's frames went through the Denjin's protection and struck the massive Gekigan-type in the chest, blasting a hole right through it and emerging from the other side in an impressive show of lights and explosions!

"Yay! That's one down!" Fiona exclaimed. The fatally-damaged Denjin fell to its knees, blood and electric sparks flying from the gaping hole in its torso... before exploding in a massive fireball that blew a crater in the Martian landscape, fratriciding several Battas! The other Gekigan-types remained frozen for a short while, their pilots shocked about the Aestivalis' comeback... and Fiona took advantage of that by disengaging her own foes, crushing a Batta in her Excellence's clawed arm, and then dashing towards the Gekigan-types at top speed!

"_Fiona, a possible weak point in those giants!_" Lahge's voice came from her speakers. "_The leg joints aren't too robust... if you can place a decent hit there, the unit's movement will be severely hampered, Boson Jump aside!_"

"Got it, Lahge! Thanks for the heads-up! **Prisma Beam!**" the redheaded pilot exclaimed. As soon as she was within range, she took aim at the Tetsujin's legs and opened up her Excellence's clawed hand to fire a volley of azure beams from the palm. Sadly, the Tetsujin's Distortion Field was still strong, and the lasers bounced harmlessly off the invisible protection. "Ugh... stupid me... forgot those robots had this Gravity Field thing as well... okay, no problem, let's just try to distract them. Hey, you big hunks of scrap metal! Why don't you try to shoot me down?"

Fiona dashed sideways in order to draw some enemy fire upon her, just as another mixed battallion of Battas and mass-poduced Aestivalis swarmed the Nadesico-C... and as she dodged a Gravity Blast from the Testujin's chestplate, which carved a deep line in the icy ground, and dashed closer, using the clawed arm to fend off the minor enemies' attacks. Hikaru and Izumi unsheathed their knives and swept down upon the Daimajin, keeping it occupied and cutting deep slashes across its body while its Distortion Field was down. The Martian Successor, in frustration, swatted the two Aestivalis away with his robot's arms, but in doing so, he neglected to keep his eyes on Fiona's Excellence, and the redhead was quick to turn on him and strike at the Daimajin's legs, her clawed arm extended and surrounded in a shining aura!

"Now I got you! **Gigant Crusher!**" the girl shouted, slashing through the Distortion Field and delivering a solid blow to the Daimajin's knees, severely damaging the joints! The gigantic robot stumbled and fell on all fours, and the pilot Boson Jumped away in a desperate attempt to get some distance, while the Tetsujin, now alone and outnumbered, tried its damndest to attack the annoying Aestivalis that were surrounding it on all sides, pelting at its Distortion Field in order to weaken it! Fiona noddded and charged once again at the downed Daimajin, trying to attack once again before it could reorganize itself and teleport out of danger again... but she was caught off guard when the colossus raised its head, its eyes shining brightly for a split second before unleashing a searing laser beam! Fiona cursed through grit teeth and desperately dodged the beam, which still burned its way through the Excellence-S' shoulder pad! "Aaaargh! Okay, that was unexpected... but I've got you now! **Gigant Crusher! **Again..."

This time, the attack struck true, impaling the Daimajin's head and penetrating though its neck, irrevocably damaging the vital parts of the humongous mecha! Fiona dashed away just in time before the Daimajin exploded as well, the mere shockwave sending the red robot stumbling face-first into the frozen ground!

"Uuuugh... wow, talk about your explosive retaliation.." Fiona said to herself, before doing a quick damage check. Luckily, the Excellence-S' condition was well still within acceptable parameters. "But still... I managed to take that thing out! And I'm sure that third one won't last much longer..."

In fact, the Testujin was now alone, and even the fact that its pilot was trying to Boson Jump out of harm's way in a frenzy was doing little to help it. The girls and Akatsuki were doing rapid, hit-and-run attacks on the far more destructive behemoth, wearing it down and dodging its attacks. They were too fast for its Gravity Blast to connect, and its Distortion Field was losing potency as they sent one attack after the other at it. Finally, a barrage of bullets from the three girls' Rapid Rifles shattered the invisible shield and blew a multitude of holes in the Gekigan-type's exposed side, causing a shower of electrical sparks to fly out of it... and the Martian Successor in the cockpit cursed loudly before turning to the Aestivalis trio, thirsty for vengeance!

"Ugh... damn you, enemies of justice!" he growled. "You cannot stop the new order! We will destroy you all and wipe away your corrupt system! **Rocket Punch!**"

The Tetsujin raised its arms, which detached from its main body, held aloft by a pair of small rockets and dashed towards the Aestivalis team like a pair of torpedoes, in a clear homage to the main weapon of the Super Robot Mazinger Z, one of the most cherished heroes of the previous war. Though, if she had to be frank, the fact that a bunch of terrorists was using a similar weapon was to Ryoko an insult to the noble Mazinger Z...

"Alright, everyone! Dodge those things!" Ryoko warned, but there really was no need to... Hikaru, Izumi and Nagare had already moved out of the way, thanks mainly to the Tetsujin's Rocket Punches being so slow compared to those of the move's originator. The three Aestivalis were able to dodge the blow, while Ryoko fired another volley at the Rocket Punches, destroying them in midair, in a bright explosion that blinded the Tetsujin's pilot just enough for the Nadesico pilots to launch their deciding attack! Hikaru attacked first, aiming at the Tetsujin's neck and slashing it with a powerful blow from her combat knife! The blade opened a deep gash in a vulnerable part of the Tetsujin's neck, and Izumi followed up by producing a large beam rifle from her back and shooting the Tetsujin in the chest! The gigantic robot, crippled and severely damaged, swayed dangerously, which allowed Ryoko enough time to dash in and deliver a mighty Distortion Punch to the Tetsujin, before producing her own Rapid Rifle and shooting it in the cockpit at close distance! Finally, the huge Gekigan-type crumbled to the ground, oil and sparks leaking out of every single gash... and exploded, signaling the end of the threat as Genichiro, Saburouta and the Nadesico-C continued taking out the minor units! For now, the battle was clearly in the Nadesico-C's favor!

"Heh... we clobbered them, but good!" Fiona said, approaching her allies once again. "But the red guy and his minions are nowhere to be seen... I smell a rat here!"

"Yeah, it's kinda strange... they wouldn't leave their top fighters out of such an important fight, after all!" Hikaru mused. "Think they're gonna show up and... gah!"

The glasses-wearing girl stopped herself short as something appeared from practically nowhere just a few metres above her, and swept down with breath-taking quickness! The young girl managed to dodge just in time before one of the Martian Successors' Shishikis swung its staff a few inches away from her orange Aestivalis' face... and the girls quickly regrouped and got into a guarding position when Hokushin's Yatenkou, joined by the four remaining Shishikis, appeared above the battlefield, sinisterly looming over them all!

"That's the red guy!" Fiona exclaimed. "Now things are really going to get dicey!"

Hokushin chuckled nastily, while its underlings took an almost innaturally symmetrical stance around it. "Fiona Grayden... and the rest of the Nadesico heathens, huh?" the monster chortled. "I know not how you managed to get all the way here, but it matters not. You shall regret ever defying the new order! Destroy them!"

The four underlings followed their leader's command and charged head-on, shooting a volley of colored beams from their staffs and blasting the ground all around Fiona and her comrades. One blast struck the Excellence-S in its midsection, and Fiona let out a short cry of pain and surprise as she was staggered. With a determined glint n her eyes, the girl raised the Excellence-S' clawed arm and fired another Prisma Beam at the assassin, only for it to swiftly dodge.

"Damn!" Fiona swore. "These guys are so annoyingly hard to hit... Okay, Fiona, stay calm! You know you're no match with these guys in a straight-up brawl... but you can still beat them in other ways! So come and get me, you freaks of nature!"

Two of the Shishikis began to close in on the Excellence-S, and Fiona got ready to greet them and evade their attacks... but before they could make their first move, Hokushin's Yatenkou stepped forward, motioning for them to get away and to leave the redheaded pilot to it! Fiona felt her blood run cold when she realized she would have to tangle with the leader of the Martian Successors' top assassination squad... but she tried to control her fear, and stood firm as the blood-red robot flew in front of her, and the Shishikis switched target, attacking the Aestivalis pilots!

"Fiona! Be careful, that guy is no joke!" Ryoko warned him, barely managing to block a hit from a Shishiki's staff with her close-combat knife. She tried to strike back, but the nimble Shishiki dodged the attack and teleported way in a flash of black light, before trying to attack her on the sides. More enemy units began swarming the Nadesico-C and its pilots, only barely kept in check by Genichiro and the Aestivalis pilots...

"Looks like things are getting out of hand." Nagare Akatsuki calmly commented. Ryoko quietly cursed the Nergal chairman for being such a master of the obvious, before casting a quick glance at Fiona and Hokushin, to see how her friend was doing.

The Yatenkou had taken the offensive, teleporting here and there in order to confuse the girl and attack as soon as her guard was down... but luckily, Fiona had seen through Hokushin's trick, and had not taken the bait, instead opting to stay back and keep a defensive position. As soon as the Yatenkou was within range, Fiona pressed a button, and a small compartment on the Excellence's chest opened up, revealing a beam cannon! "**Chest Blaster!**" Fiona exclaimed, firing a beam of solid yellow light that seemed to be about to hit the Yatenkou head-on... but the red Martian Successor robot simply vanished again and reappeared in front of her, striking with its staff! Fiona grit her teeth in pain as she was violently thrown about in the cockpit, and another couple of blows caused her to almost hit her head against the console. However, she quickly managed to recover and swept her robot's clawed arm at the Yatenkou, almost managing to hit it before it blinked away. The red robot reappeared nearby and charged head-on, trying to strike down the Excellence-S, but Fiona quickly turned and fired her Chest Blaster again. This time, it seemed that the Yatenkou was too fast and too close to avoid it...

Sadly, it turned out not to be the case. The Yatenkou did another Boson Jump, and reappeared right next to the Excellence-S, hitting it again with its staff and sending Fiona's robot down once again! Fiona managed to pick herself up once again... and the Yatenkou struck a new fighting pose, as if trying to underscore how much Fiona was outclassed.

"Ugh... damn you, you monster!" Fiona cursed, gripping her controls even tighter. "Don't think I'm done yet! I've yet to do my best!"

Hokushin smirked inside of its cockpit. "Hehehee... you sure can talk the talk, little girl, but you are in a hopeless fight right now." it smirked... before it turned its gaze upwards, as if sensing something coming from that direction. "But, as much as I'd like to prolong your suffering a bit longer, I'm afraid more urgent matters require my... attention. The knight has come to rescue the goddess of Mars..."

"Huh? What are you talking about, you freakshow?" Fiona snarled... and one split second after, a ripple went through the air... and a familiar black robot appeared, closely followed by a mysterious battleship that looked like a miniature Nadesico! The girl widened her eyes, recognizing Akito's Blackserena... and the Aestivalis and Shishikis interrupted their own fight, turning to where the black robot had appeared. Genichiro managed to smile slightly,knowing that this was the moment that could either turn the tide of the battle or ensure the ultimate failure of all their efforts...

"Akito..." Ryoko murmured sadly... but she smiled one second later, as the Blackserena took flight and began heading towards Hokushin and its Yatenkou. "Go tear that bastard a new ass, Tenkawa! Yurika is waiting for you!"

Hokushin grinned maniacally and took flight to meet the Blackserena in midair. "You wish to challenge me still, Akito Misumaru? Fine then... it shall be pleasurable to tear you apart in front of your beloved!"

**oooooooooo**

The battle near Axis was in full swing... and both Chan's Re-GZ and Rezun's Geara Doga were locked in mortal combat with each other, the two women doing their best to overcome each other. Despite Chan being a Newtype, Rezun seemed quite a bit more expert in handling her MS, and the Chinese girl was having some trouble keeping up with her fluid, perfected movements. It seemed that the Neo Zeon ace had spent quite a bit of time training to defeat Newtypes...

"Heh. Give it up, Newtype!" Rezun exclaimed, her heat axe narrowly missing the Re-GZ right wing as Chan tried a swooping attack, firing her beam guns. Rezun snorted as the heated blade missed its intended target, and she produced her beam machine gun to send a barrage of shots in the Re-GZ's direction, but Chan managed to swerve at the last moment, her Newtype senses alerting her to danger just in time. With a frown, Chan hovered in place, waiting for the Geara Doga to come closer... "Well done to dodge my attack, but I won't miss a second time!"

"That's what we're going to see..." Chan murmured. The Mega Beam Cannon on the Re-GZ's front flared to life, and fired a huge, crimson laser beam that caught Rezun off guard, forcing the Oldtype pilot to dodge to her left... but not quickly enough to avoid taking a hit on the Geara Doga's right arm, which went limp in a shower of electric sparks!

"Agh! Dammit..." Rezun cursed, frantically regaining control of her suit. With her remaining arm, she aimed the beam machine gun at Chan and fired again, just when Chan was about totake off in pursuit of Hathaway's GM-3. The Chinese woman was forced to bite back a swear word when the barrage of beams cut her off in mid-flight, forcing her to concentrate on her opponent once more. "Didn't I tell you I was going to be your opponent now? It's not wise of you to get distracted!"

Chan's patience was really beginning to get thin. "I've had enough of you..." she growled angrily, deciding that at this point, it was just as well to fight to the bitter end... but she was not going to be the one who would bite the dust, that was for sure!

**oooooooooo**

"Yaaah!" Cagalli yelled as her Saviour Gundam's beam saber sliced into an enemy ZAKU Warrior, which she swiftly kicked away before it exploded. The former ORB Princess breathed in relief as she turned to her teammates, who were rather effectively fending off the enemies. "And that's that. Commander Waltfeld, Captain La Flaga... how are things?"

"Well, could be better... and could be worse!" Andrew Waltfeld answered, his orange-colored Gaia Gundam locked in battle with a black Yakt Doga. "We seem to be thinning down their numbers... but the way to Axis isn't clear yet, and they still have to send the best they have against us!"

"They'll soon be forced to, in any event!" Mwu answered, his Akatsuki's DRAGOON pods firing a barrage at the incoming enemies. "Athrun and Kira are getting closer to the asteroid, and both the Archangel and the Eternal are in position! If there is a good moment for them to show their hand, this is it."

Cagalli nodded... and then almost jumped up in her seat when a familiar-looking Gundam, resembling some kind of Strike-knockoff, but sleeker and more advanced, closed in on her, wielding a huge anti-ship sword. The Impulse Gundam, piloted by Lunamaria Hawke, leapt to attack the Saviour... and only a last-minute swerve saved the blond princess from being hit! "Ugh... I seem to have spoken too soon, this one is much better than the rest of them!"

The Gaia and the Akatsuki both turned that way as the Impulse raised the anti-ship sword to attack again... but this time, Cagalli was prepared and managed to sidestep the slash and hit the enemy with a well-placed thrust that cracked the enemy Gundam's shoulder armor! The Impulse stumbled, but was soon recovered and facing the Saviour once again...

"Darn, that's the Impulse..." Andrew murmured. "Hey, kid! You need a hand with this one?"

"Don't worry about me, I can handle this!" Cagalli answered, holding her beam saber in one hand as her Saviour and Lunamaria's Impulse circled each other. "Please, Commander Waltfeld... Captain La Flaga... can you get to Axis and help Kira and Athrun out?"

"Sure thing!" Mwu answered. "Best of luck to you!"

The Gaia and the Akatsuki sped away, cutting their way through the enemy force as Cagalli was finally able to focus wholly on the opponent in front of her, who was now trying to distract her with her head-mounted CIWS gatling guns. Cagalli dodged and dashed in, her beam saber clashing with Lunamaria's a split second later!

Inside the Impulse Gundam's cockpit, Lunamaria frowned as she began pushing back against the Saviour. "Ugh... you are Cagalli Yura Athha, isn't that right? The former princess of Orb?" she asked rhetorically. "Unlike Shinn, I have nothing against you... but as a ZAFT soldier, I have my duty to perform! Therefore, move aside, or I'll have to shoot you down."

"That request only deserves one answer!" Cagalli shot back, maneuvering her Saviour Gundam so that she delivered a crushing kick to the Impulse, staggering the new-generation model. Lunamaria grit her teeth and produced her beam rifle, firing a couple shots and nicking the Saviour in the shoulder... but the moment of faltering only lasted a few seconds, and the Saviour was back on the offensive a few seconds later...

**oooooooooo**

"Alright, just a little more..." Kira murmured to himself, leading a group of Murasames towards the side of the gigantic Axis, his DRAGOON pods shooting in all directions to fend off any interloper. His attack was going well for the moment, and the Neo Zeon and ZAFT armies were easily falling to the Terminal forces onslaught. Kira Yamato fet relieved that the target was so close... with a little luck, he could get inside and do some real damage!

Unfortunately, the moment was short-lived. A massive anti-matter beam shot out from the side of the aseoid, and while Kira was able to dodge it in time, his Murasame wingmates were unable to do so, and were promptly hit and turned into smithreens, lighting up the space around him in huge spherical explosions. His mood taking a sudden plunge, Kira looked at the direction from where the attack had come... and just as he expected, he saw the Destiny Gundam fly at him at top speed, a huge anti-ship sword held in both hands! With a simple thought, Kira willed his Strike Freedom's DRAGOON pods to fire at his attacker, but Shinn was too skilled a pilot to be caught off guard like that. He nimbly dodged all their fire, before leaping towards the Strike Freedom with the ferocity of an enraged beast!

"STRIKE FREEDOM!" Shinn yelled at the top of his lungs. "This is it! I'm going to end it here... and I'll avenge all those you murdered!"

"Shinn Asuka! If that is what you want, I'm not holding back!" Kira exclaimed, drawing his own beam saber and getting ready to fight. Two seeds of light shattered behind the two combatants' pupils as they entered SEED mode... and the two mighty Gundam broke into a mad dash at each other!

**oooooooooo**

"You did well so far. But I'm afraid I cannot let you go any further."

Athrun narrowed his eyes. Just as he predicted, his assault of the other side of Axis had not gone unnoticed, and now he was facing Rey's Legend Gundam, its beam javelin held in both hands and its DRAGOON pods activated and ready for launch! Even with the Infinite Justice at his disposal, this was going to be a tough fight...

"Rey, if Axis falls on Earth, the damage will be incalculable." Athrun said, trying for one last time to reason with the blond pilot. "Why are you trying to do this? It shouldn't even agree with your Chairman's plans, should it?"

"At this point, you have no need to know." Rey answered shortly. "The time for talk is past. If you want to stop us, you will have to defeat me."

"Rey... fine then, I will!" Athrun exclaimed, an emerald seed of light shattering behind his eyes as the Legend's DRAGOON pods began floating around the Providence lookalike...

**oooooooooo**

At the helm of the Minerva, in their commander seats, Gilbert Durandal and Talia Gladys were calmly watching the fight unfold. The ZAFT Chairman, in particular, seemed to be deep in thought, observing the events in order to choose the right moment for his own plan to come to fruition. The combined Neo Zeon / ZAFT fleet was fighting with all of their might, and Axis was in a favorable position... but Char had not made his move yet, and both of ZAFT's ace pilot were not in a good position... he still had to wait...

"_I know you are going to make your appearence soon, Char Aznable..._" the Chairman thought to himself. "_You would not pass up this chance to settle your score with Amuro Ray... but unfortunately for you, this obsession is leading you astray..._"

And the battle raged on...

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Author's Note: The deciding battles have begun, and our heroes seem to be in a rather bad situation... will they manage to turn things around and seize the day?**

**Next chapter will come as soon as possible, so stay tuned! It will be an event not to be missed! **


	17. To The Bitter End

**Super Robot Taisen S**

**Hello, everyone! Welcome back to my fanfiction! It has been updated earlier than usual, huh? Well, that's what happens when I work up a new schedule that allows me to work on more things, though at the cost of reduced time per day! School is forcing me to make use of such measures... bt don't worry, I can manage!**

**The battle for the future of Earth is in full swing! Now, the heroes have to face the Martian Successors, especially Hokushin and its elite assassin squad, on Mars... and the joint forces of Neo Zeon and ZAFT in space, in a desperate attempt to stop the Axis drop! Speaking of which... Durandal has been teasing us for quite a while with his intentions for countering Char's plans, and you can be sure he will surprise everyone!**

**Will the heroes manage to beat the odds, who are pretty stacked against them at the moment, and come out victorious from all this mess? You just need to read and find out!**

**By the way, I've come up with a complete list of the series involved in this mega crossover! There are a few surprised, so if you're curious... just check it out!**

**See you soon! **

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 17 - To The Bitter End**

Kira Yamato grit his teeth, as a particularly vicious attack from the Destiny Gundam sent his own Strike Freedom reeling... but soon after, the Terminal ace managed to recover, and his DRAGOON pods, all now sitting on the "wings" on the Strike Freedom's back, pointed at the mighty ZAFT Gundam and fired a barrage of shots all simultaneously, sending a veritable rain of emerald death at Shinn. The black-haired ZAFT ace widened his crimson eyes in anger and surprise, and barely managed to avoid the blow, but he was met by a couple blasts from Kira's beam rifle which nicked the Destiny's right arm and left leg, damaging it in a substantial way. However, it would take more than that to bring the Destiny Gundam and its enraged pilot to their knees, and Shinn was happy to further elaborate by dashing towards the Strike Freedom and delivering a crushing kick to its midsection, shaking Kira inside of his cockpit. Kira retaliated soon after, by grabbing the Destiny's leg and using its own momentum to fling it against a large piece of floating debris, possibly the remains of a Nazca-class battleship that had been totalled in the fight. There was a loud thud as the Destiny collided with the ruined hull and left an indentation inside of it... but thanks to its Phase Shift armor, the Destiny was left mostly unharmed, and soon pointed its beam rifle at the Strike Freedom...

But Shinn was soon forced to dodge again when the Strike Freedom used its DRAGOON system once again, spraying the broken vessel with a barrage of lasers which the red-eyed ZAFT pilot was barely able to get away from. In frustration, Shinn dashed sideways, leaving after-images of his Gundam as he sped by, and forcing Kira into a defensive position. Knowing all too well that he couldn't hope to reason with the vengeful pilot, and that his usual way of fighting would have brought him nowhere, Kira decided to stall for some more time, avoiding the Destiny Gundam's hand-mounted cannon as Shinn reached for the Strike Freedom's cockpit in a bloodthirsty frenzy. A kick to the offending limb managed to give the Terminal ace a few moments of breathing room, which he wisely used to shoot a couple blasts from his DRAGOON pods and forcing the Destiny Gundam back!

"Uuuugh..." Shinn growled, his frustration completely overriding all other considerations. "This is it, you murdering bastard! I'm done with you, you hear me? You killed Stellar... you killed my family... and now you want to stop us from preventing any more wars... I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU! DIE!"

Shinn dashed forward, even faster than what Kira expected, and struck the Strike Freedom in the midsection with a vicious blow from the Destiny's beam saber, managing to overcome even the other MS' Phase Shift Armor and puuuig several dents in the Strike Freedom. Kira spun around and slashed the Destiny Gundam in the chest, causing several sparkles to shoot out of the gash traced by the beam saber, and the two Gundam got away from each other once again, their pilot regaining their breath after the clash.

"This is harder than I thought..." Kira murmured to himself, his DRAGOON pods floating in the air once again and pointing to the Destiny. Shinn, for his part, grabbed his Gundam's positron rifle and took aim as well, intending to put an end to the battle in the swiftest of ways...

**oooooooooo**

The Infinite Justice and the Legend were similarly engaged in a breakneck struggle, as Athrun's Gundam tried to close the gap between them and escape the DRAGOON pods. Rey, on the other hand, was doing all too great a job at keeping him away: the floating guns were shooting at a breathtaking pace, and the Legend itself was just as speedy as Athrun remembered Le Crueset's Providence to be. If this kept up for much longer, the battle would soon be at a stalemate... and Axis would enter the Earth's gravitational field.

Deciding that it was high time to take a gamble, Athrun sent his Infinite Justice into a mad sprint, dashing through a veritable net of laser beams shot by the Legend's DRAGOONs, but getting a stray hit in his Gundam's arm from one of the shots. Gritting his teeth, the former FAITH agent accelerated and managed to catch Rey off guard, forcing the Legend pilot to raise his beam javelin in order to defend himself. However, Athrun seemed to have a counter for that as well: in a flash, he had his Gundam's Fatum-2 flight unit detach from the Infinite Justice's back, and a couple of beam blades protruded from its front part as it dashed towards the Legend Gundam, striking it in the shoulder and almost causing it to relinquish its grip on the beam javelin! For a rare moment, Rey's serene face was crossed by a shadow of anger, but he soon regained control and stabilized his Mobile Suit, before having his floating pods shoot another barrage of beams at the Infinite Justice! Athrun maneuvered away, but as his Fatum-2 unit went back to him and attached to the Infinite Justice's back again, he was forced to once again get some distance from his opponent, leaving him at square one once again.

"Damn..." Athrun muttered to himself, his eyes peeled in case the Legend Gundam unleashed its DRAGOONs again. "If only I didn't have to keep a constant eye on those things, it would be at least a little easier..."

Rey attacked again, this time pointing all of the pods at Athrun and shooting a barrage of emerald beams that almost struck the Infinite Justice head-on... but luckily, the former ZAFT ace managed to dodge sideways, and he managed to get away with only slight damage to the arm. However, Rey seemed to have expected that as well, and he dashed forward to intercept Athrun before he could organize himself. There was an ear-piercing screech as the beam javelin clashed against the Infinite Justice's beam saber, and both of them began pushing against each other in an attempt to overcome the other, while the batte raged all around them, lighting up the vast emptiness of space in multicolored beams an fiery explosions...

"I need to get through him... before Axis gets too close to the Earth..." Athrun murmured to himself, getting more and more desperate by the moment.

**oooooooooo**

Chan was blindsided by an unexpectedly reckless assault from Rezun and her Geara Doga: abandoning all pretense of defence, the Oldtype Neo Zeon pilot had simply dashed straight towards her opponent, firing wildly from her beam machine gun in an attempt to throw off the Chinese girl... which succeeded, as while Chan was busy making sure that her Re-GZ could dodge the attack, Rezun quickly dashed in the same direction and raised her heat axe, ready to deliver a punishing blow to her opponent! Chan almost bit her tongue in surprise and frustration and cursed her recklessness as she realized that she had fallen for the most basic of traps!

"Not too smart, are we, Newtype?" Rezun taunted her. "And now... you die!"

A flash of insight ran through Chan's mind, as her heightened Newtype perception confirmed that it was indeed the best time to strike! With the press of a button, Chan disengaged the Re-GZ's Back Weapon System, unlimbering the wings as what looked like a fighter plane quickly transformed into a Mobile Suit very reminescent of the Zeta Gundam, while the half-destroyed weapon system blew up dangerously close to the Geara Doga's face and forced Rezun to retreat, her heat axe still tightly held in the Mobile Suit's hands.

"Ugh... what are you planning to do, Newtype?" Rezun exclaimed. "What sort of trick is this?"

The now-humanoid Re-GZ wasted no time, and while Rezun was distracted by the explosion of the BWS, Chan quickly dashed in to attack again, executing a great swipe with her beam saber and severing one of the Geara Doga's arm, which detached from the rest of the body with a small explosion! Surprised at her opponent's move, Rezun tried to back away and attack her again with the beam machinegun... but Chan didn't let her recover, and with a powerful swing, she thrust her beam saber right into the blue Geara Doga's midsection!

"Aaaaargh!" Rezun screamed, as her cockpit lit up and her consoles began exploding. "I... I lost? This is... impossible... Damn you, Newtype!"

The Re-GZ backed away a split second before Rezun's Geara Doga exploded, getting her rid of the enemy that was preventing her from going after Hathaway... and the Chinese girl breathed a sigh of relief, feeling somewhat proud of having taken down such a tenacious opponent.

"Phew... that was too close for confort!" she commented. "And now, let's get back to business... damn, if only I could find Hathaway again. I'm afraid I lost track of him in this mess..." Chan commented, taking a look at the battle that was still going on in front of her and all around Axis. The huge asteroid was well on its way to Earth, and unless Terminal managed to open up a way and shoot their own nukes, disaster was only a few hours away! "This is really bad... I can just hope our ships are in position and ready to strike!"

She glanced back at the three motherships, who were just then trying to fend off the stragglers from the Neo Zeon and ZAFT armies. The Eternal was leading the charge, shooting down several enemies with its close-range guns... but unless their attack force managed to fend off the enemies long enough, there wasn't much the three motherships could do about Axis. "We're in a bad situation... I just hope Amuro and the others can do something about it..." she mused, before heading back into battle to help as much as she could.

**oooooooooo**

On the bridge of the Eternal, things were just as frantic, and while Lacus Clyne was managing to keep her cool as she directed the operation, it was clear that she knew as well as everyone else just how difficult things were turning out to be. There were far too many Mobile Suits between them and Axis, and the Eternal's point-blank defense was not going to be enough to keep them at bay for long.

"Status report!" Lacus ordered, her eyes dilatated from the SEED mode she was in, when a salvo of bullets caused the main bridge of the pink battleship to shake for a few seconds. "What's the situation? Can we still make for Axis and shoot our payload?"

"Affirmative, Lady Lacus!" an operator answered. "But we're going to have an hard time of it. Our launchers have been damaged, and we'll need a few minutes to get around this problem. We need to be certain that the nukes will reach Axis... and it won't be easy, with all those Mobile suits standing in the way!"

"Please, do your best... the future of the Earth is at stake!" the pink-haired songstress said, her our pink Haro bouncing frantically around her - it was as if the little robot itself knew how critical the whole situation was...

**oooooooooo**

The Nu Gundam was desperately trying to reach Axis, using its verniers to full effect and cutting down any opponent that dared to approach it with a deadly combination of beam rifle, beam saber and Fin Funnels. However, inside of his cockpit, Amuro could feel a great menace looming upon him... and there was no need to hae a great imagination to guess what it could be. Out of the corner of his eye, the Terminal Newtype ace could see the Alpha Aziel piloted by Quess closing in on his position, its funnels deployed and ready to unleash hell upon him! He knew this was going to be a very risky fight... and even if he could get out of it alive, he would still have Char and his Sazabi to content with. The best option appeared to be to simply avoid fighting Quess and go straight to Axis, but with the Alpha Aziel around, even that sounded risky at best...

"Don't think you're going anywhere, Amuro!" Quess yelled. "Why do you insist on opposing the Colonel? I will not let you through!"

"Ugh... this is bad... Char had brainwashed her into his own personal killing machine..." Amuro muttered to himself, cursing Char's methods. "I have no time to fight with her... I must get out of here soon, or Axis will cross the point of no-return before we can strike at it..."

However, Quess had other ideas, and a couple beams from her Alpha Aziel's funnels blocked the Nu Gundam's way... just as a GM-3 approached the Alpha Aziel from behind, and latched onto one of its shoulder pads, catching Quess by surprise. She was so hell-bent on attacking the Nu Gundam, that she had let that puny Mobile Suit through her defences... and her I-Field was ineffective at such range! She still could simply shrug the offending Mobile Suit off like a dog shrugs off a flea, though...

But a familiar voice kept her from doing so.

"Quess! Quess, it's me! Don't you recognize me?" Hathaway pleaded from his GM-3's cockpit, holding on as much as he could. "That's you inside this Mobile Armor, right... Quess?"

"Hathaway?" Quess asked, her demeanor regaining a semblance of sanity. "Hathaway, is that you? Don't you dare get so chummy with me! What are you doing here?"

The Alpha Aziel swayed slightly under Amuro's surprised eyes, trying to shrug the unexpected enemy off... however, Quess did not seem to have put much oomph into it, and the GM-3 was able to keep ahold of the gigantic Mobile Armor. "I know you're in there somewhere, Quess!" Hathaway pleaded. "You mustn't act this way! You can't vent your rage over anyone! Please, let's just stop it and go back to the Ral Kairam! I'm sure they will accept you back if you apologize!"

Quess frowned in annoyance. "Apologize?" she muttered. "Tch... you're such a naive, spoiled brat... I must defeat the Colonel's enemies! Let go of me, I said!"

"Enough of this, Quess!" Hathaway was not going to be deterred so easily. "If you keep doing this, you'll end up being hated by everyone! How can you not understand this?"

Quess sneered. "How dare you presume you know what I should or should not do?" she exclaimed. "You really have no idea how things are, huh? The Earth is bounding everyone's souls to itself with its gravity! Unless we destroy it, Newtypes will never find salvation!" Her words now sounded more like a senseless rant, a sign that her self-control was waning. "Hathaway, for the last time... Get away from me! Now!"

Quess shook her Alpha Aziel a lot more violently this time, causing the GM-3 to relinquish its hold on the huge shoulder pad, and one of the tube-like thrusters of the gigantic Mobile Armor struck the small and frail Mobile Suit in the back, shaking it wildly and causing considerable damage to it, as Hathaway screamed in pain and fear. He quickly grabbed the controls and tried to regain control... but he was shocked to see that even suc a simple hit from the Alpha Aziel had pretty much crippled the much inferior GM-3, and there was nothing he could do to bring his Mobile Suit back under control. He tried again, but to no avail... and he could do nothing but watch in fear as he drifted away, back in the fires of the battle...

"Ugh... this... was not part of the plan..." Hathaway murmured in a daze, remembering Amuro's words about the battlefield not being a place for him and cursing himself for thinking that he knew better. "I should have listened to father and Amuro... what a fool I was... Quess... why..."

**oooooooooo**

The Nu Gundam was already well on its way to Axis... but a sudden jolt from his Newtype senses warned Amuro that something bad had happened to Hathaway, and the Terminal ace turned in the direction of the Alpha Aziel, just in time to see Hathaway's GM-3, crippled and immoblized, as it floated away. If it went back in the midst of the battle, there was precious little chance for Hathaway to survive...

And at the moment, Amuro was the only one who could help his friend Bright's son: Kira and Athrun were busy fighting, respectively, Shinn and Rey... and all other Terminal pilots were engaged in their own battles. There wasn't much else to do... so, hoping that he would not be too late to save Hathaway, Amuro turned back and flew towards the Alpha Aziel, whose crazed pilot immediately turned her fury to him.

"Quess, what are you doing? Stop this immediately!" Amuro exclaimed. The Alpha Aziel shot a huge beam of destructive energy from the particle gun mounted above its head, but the Nu Gundam expanded its I-Field and absorbed the hit without much trouble. In a rage, Quess deployed her funnels again, and the lethal psycomm-guided lasers swarmed around the Nu Gundam like enraged wasps.

"Get away from me, Amuro!" she yelled furiously, trying to shoot down the elusive MS. The fact that none of her shots even came close to the mark was not helping the girl's unbalanced state of mind. "Damn you... why do you insist? Why will you interfere with the Colonel once more?"

"Quess, listen to yourself!" Amuro tried once more to reason with the crazed Newtype. "Do you understand what you're doing? And what Hathaway was trying to do?"

"SHUT UP!" Quess yelled, the Alpha Aziel' arms extending and trying to grab him. "You grown-up are all the same! Nobody cares! Nobody tries to understand! I despise you all!"

Amuro dodged the attack again and, showing once again why he was the chosen pilot for the Nu Gundam, he aimed his bean rifle at the Alpha Aziel's funnels and shot down several of them with a volley of incredibly precise shots. Then, as the particle gun was about to fire once again, Amuro telepathically sent a few of his Fin Funnels to intercept it, and in the span of a couple seconds, the remote weapons fired a series of shots at the mighty weapon, destroying its front part in a huge explosion that rattled the entire Mobile Armor. Despite the incredible difference in size, the Nu Gundam seemed in complete control of the situation, swerving in and out of the Alpha Aziel's reach, destroying the funnels and remote weapons that were approaching him too much, and sistematically dismantling Quess' offensive arsenal.

"I reiterate: do you understand what you did to Hathaway?" Amuro asked again. "How can you do such a thing to a friend?"

"Hathaway is not my friend!" was Quess' heated response. "He's always getting in the way and talking big... as if he knows more than I do!" With a furious yell, Quess unleashed what remained of her arsenal - which was still a considerable amount of firepower - at the Nu Gundam, forcing Amuro to swerve out of the way in order to avoid the stream of searing beams.

"Have you even considered his feelings? Are you going to keep lashing out like that at anyone who tries to approach you?" Amuro exclaimed as soon as he had a momentary respite from the relentless assault. Deciding that it was high time to put an end to that battle, he deployed all of his Fin Funnels and placed them around the Alpha Aziel... then, with a focused thought, he had the remote weapon irradiate an I-Field, catching the gigantic Mobile Armor inside a transparent pyramidal prison. Quess yelled in rage and began shooting her body-mounted lasers at the I-Field, to no avail.

"If you keep doing that... you'll end up driving away and killing those who truly care about you!" Amuro said, taking advantage of the fact that Quess couldn't shoot at him at the moment.

That actually managed to break through the crazed girl's state, and Amuro felt a jolt of what could probably be described as realization mixed with regret as the remaining funnels halted and floated uneasily in vacuum, as if sharing the young pilot's uncertain state of mind. "N... no..." Quess murmured, her voice taking on a softer tone. "No... I don't want to do that! I'm not as foolish as to do that!"

"Then... please stand down, and listen." Amuro said, relieved that at least Quess seemed to be willing to listen to reason. "Don't let your anger control you... and try to listen to the feelings of others..."

Quess took a pair of deep breaths to calm herself down... and when she managed to do so, she was able to hear a telepathic voice in her head, a voice that clearly belonged to Hathaway... "_Quess... don't be angry... this is not the time to..._"

Quess' hands let go of her controls, and the girl lowered her head in what Amuro could sense was regret and shame over what she had done. "Hathaway... was trying to help me..." she whispered sadly. "And I pushed him away... Can I still make it up to him... and to you?"

Amuro smiled slightly. At least, that was one life that was not going to be sacrificed to his blood feud with Char. "If you use the Alpha Aziel's power, I am sure you can save him." he said, powering down his Fin Funnels, which obediently drifted back to the Nu Gundam. "Hathaway is floating in that direction, away from Axis. You can still save him, if you want."

The Alpha Aziel slowly and ponderously turned in the direction Hathaway and his GM-3 were floating towards, and Quess turned and smiled at Amuro before beginning to detach the outer parts of her Mobile Armor, in order to be able to reach an higher speed. "Amuro... if you are going to shoot e from behind, now is the time to do it." she said cryptically, before detaching the last of her weapons and beginning to float in the direction of the forlorn GM-3. Amuro managed to smile to himself as he watched the Alpha Aziel, now consisting of only the cockpit area and the basic thrusters, float away, its shimmering I-Field surrounding it.

However, the fact that at least one story had ended happily did not distract him for long: there was still much to do, and Axis was picking up speed and inching closer and closer to the Earth's gravitational field. It had to be stopped somehow... and worse still, Char had not taken to the battlefield just yet, and Durandal had not yet played his hand. Amuro was sure that, as soon as that happened, things would go sour in a hurry...

"Where are you, Char?" he said, his Nu Gundam drawing its beam saber and looking around. "I know you're here, somewhere... you would not miss a chance to fight me for anything, right?"

**oooooooooo**

The battle on Mars, on the other hand, was beginning to get to its climax... as Akito's jet-black robot and Hokushin's blood-red Yatenkou were preparing to face each other in what was going to be their final battle, scores upon scores of unmanned units swarming around them! Akito's cold, silent rage at those who had ruined his life, and Hokushin's mocking, smug attitude were right there, one in front of the other... and they were about to have their deciding battle, under the watchful eyes of the crew of the Nadesico-C, and the other mysterious battleship that had warped inside the battlefield...

"Akito Misumaru..." Hokushin sneered hatefully, trying to push Akito's buttons in order to provoke him into making a mistake. On the ground, Fiona was keeping an eye out for the remaining Shishikis, making sure that Hokushin's wingmen could not intervene to aid their boss and give it an unfair advantage.

"So, how does it feel? How does it feel to be ruled by overwhelming power?" Hokushin taunted, swirling its Yatenkou's staff around and defending himself from the Blackserena's ramming attack. "I have to admit, you were persistent enough... but your battle was hopeless from the very beginning! Opposing the new order... will only result in pain and death! It's such a shame that you had to learn your lesson so late in life!"

Akito answered nothing, as the Blackserena's outer shell was shredded, revealing a sleeker, yet still threatening, black robot underneath, covered in plates of jet-black armor decorated in red highlights, and several long, segmented tail-like binders have hanging behind it, whipping the air around itself as if in a frenzy to put an end to the fight. In a split second, the Blackserena's tail binders lashed out and grabbed the Yatenkou's right arm, before tossing it roughly against the ground... but the red robot Boson Jumped to safety before it could hit the ground, and reappeared right above the Blackserena, and executed a flawless diving attack with it staff, trying to smash the black robot's head with it. In a moment, the four Shishikis piloted by Hokushin's henchmen leapt to the aid of their boss... but they were cut off by the crossfire put up by Ryoko, Hikaru, Izumi and Fiona!

"**Chest Blaster!**" The Excellence-S' pilot exclaimed, firing a solid beam of energy that forced the assassin targetted by it to break formation with the others. The Aestivalis piloted by Ryoko and her friends were quick to launch themselves upon the other assassins, keeping them from getting too close to the Blackserena.

"Anyone who's interfering in Akito's battle will be riding a racehorse straight to Hell!" Ryoko yelled, firing her Rapid Rifle against a Shishiki. Hikaru and Izumi unsheathed their combat knives and attacked other two enemies, who were forced to raise their staffs to protect themselves.

"I am horse number two!" Hikaru cheerily exclaimed from her comm window.

"And I'm number three..." Izumi, sporting her trademark unsettling smile, repeated after her friend.

Saburouta's face, framed by long blond hair and a red lock that stood out among it, smiled cunningly as he inserted himself in the conversation between the three friends. "Is it any trouble if I join the conversation myself?" he asked, winking seductively at Ryoko, who frowned noticeably and glared at the former Jovian pilot. Needless to say, Hikaru and Izumi were quick to follow up on that!

"Well, I don't think our friend here would mind!" the glasses-wearing redheaded answered. "In fact, I do think she should be looking for a knight to be at her side!"

"Lalalaaa... our little Ryoko will be getting married soon!" Izumi said in a slipsong tone, teasing her lifelong friend... which of course caused the hot-tempered Ryoko to pop a vein on her forehead, as a comical background of flames lit up behind her!

"IZUMI! HIKARU!" she yelled indignantly. "Quit this nonsense and get to work! And you too, Jovian casanova wannabe! If you're going to be in the way, just scram and leave the work to the professionals!"

Saburouta laughed heartilly. "Heheheheee... nice going, Ryoko! Just remember to focus all that rage on the bad guys!" he stated. "Well, will you look at them! They're coming at us about... now!"

As if their pilots were angry about being ignored, the four Shishikis attacked the Aestivalis trio and Saburouta head on, trying to strike them down with their staffs and a series of Boson Jumps that were intended to throw the Nadesico-C pilots off their game. Ryoko frowned again and concentrated as she looked at the frighteningly agile robots, trying to discern a pattern in their seemingly random teleporting. "Crap, here they come... scatter, everyone! Each of us will try to take them separately! Don't let them aid each other!" Ryoko exclaimed. The other Aestivalis pilots complied, and each of them flew in a separate direction as the enemies tried to get the jump on them. In frustration, the first of the Shadows flew back and tried again, but he was soon greeted by a volley of gunfire from Izumi's Rapid Rifle!

"Oh, no, sweetheart, you're not doing that!" the tall female pilot mocked her opponent, keeping him at bay with a series of well-aimed shots...

"Well, the girls and the Jovian guy seem to know their stuff!" Nagare affirmed, with himself, Fiona and Genichiro acting as backup and stopping all the unmanned units and grunts that were getting too close to the fight. "Now, all we need to do is make sure nobody interferes! Think you can do that, you two?"

"Sure thing, longhair!" Fiona said, unleashing a Prisma Beam that brought down a stray Batta before turning to an incoming Madura and stopping it with her clawed arm. "These guys aren't much of a challenge anyway... we can take them no problem! **Chest Blaster!**"

Another Chest Blaster was shot from the Excellence-S' concealed cannon, and the Madura was pierced from side to side, remaining in midair for a split second before blowing up in a spectacular explosion. Genichiro's white Alstroemeria was also doing a good job keeping the enemies away, Boson Jumping to the ones that looked more dangerous and slicing them up with its claws... in the distance, Ryoko, her friends and Saburouta were keeping the assassination squad busy... and Akito's Blackserena was locked in a lethal dance with Hokushin's Yatenkou! Now more than ever, the battle looked uncertain... and if Akito couldn't handle Hokushin, she doubted any of them was a match for that monstrosity...

"Damn... good luck, everyone!" she murmured, as the Nadesico-lookalike that had Boson Jumped in the battlefield along with the Blackserena. At the moment, it was charging up a Gravity Blast, targetting the farthest enemies and mowing them down with relative ease... "It's lucky we can count on the Blackserena and that battleship, at least... but these Martian Successors scum are still more numerous than we are! We need to find a way to break through, and fast!"

**oooooooooo**

"Alright, everyone!" Mitsuko exclaimed, getting a quick look at the data on her screen. "The unknown battleship is targetting the Martian Successors! That should give us more than enough time to fall back and strike back at Kusakabe's men!"

"Good." Ruri said, her trademark deadpan voice never rising one iota. "Hari, can you contact the unknown battleship that warped into the battlefield?"

"I'm doing that as we speak!" the young boy exclaimed hastily, trying to show himself as efficient and quick on his wits. "The unknown battleship is hailing us back, in fact... it identified itself as Eucharis, and it appears to be a support unit for the Blackserena... oh, and the person who's in charge of the operations is one who identified herself as Lapis... Lapis Lazuli..."

"Try to open a comm channel with her." Ruri ordered calmly... and a few seconds later, another communication screen popped up in front of Ruri and the rest of the crew, showing the person who was trying to contact them. All of them were quite shocked and even somewhat frightened by the appearence of the newcomer: she was a young girl about Ruri's age, but there was something innatural and alien about her, creating a very unsettling "uncanny valley" effect. She looked like a pale, emotionless doll that was somehow moving of its own accord, and those huge golden eyes that stared bankly in front of her, framed by cascading locks of lavender hair, did not help things any. Neither did her incredibly pale complexion that made her look like a living corpse, or the pure white lab dress she was wearing...

Only Ruri appeared to be unafraid of the strange girl, and in fact she noticed the similarities between the two of them... and between the mysterious girl and the new Akito, sadly enough. "Greetings. I am the captain of the Nadesico-C, Ruri Hoshino." she introduced herself, never getting any reaction from the disquieting girl. "You are the one who is manning the Eucharis, the battleship that is assisting us right now. Am I right?"

"_You are correct._" Lapis, the mysterious lavender-haired girl answered, in a tone so desolate and apathetic that it sent chills down Lahge's spine. "_I am an electronic fairy like you. I was created by Nergal's genetic engineering before falling in the Martian Successors' hands. As of now, I am acting as Akito's eyes, ears and hands. Please, will you aid us in this endeavor?_"

"That's exactly what we were doing all along!" Minato exclaimed with a nod, giving a small smile to the pale-skinned girl that reminded her so much of Ruri. "We don't care who you are or where you are from... you have aided Akito until now, so that makes you our friend, right?"

Mitsuko smiled slightly, despite the terrible situation they were in. At least there was someone willing to aid them...

**oooooooooo**

The battle was not going too well for Ryoko and her friends. The enemies were way too fast for their Aestivalis to catch up, and the constant Boson Jumping was not helping any... although the Aestivalis units had managed to avoid really serious damage, if things kept going that way, they were not going to last much longer, despite their initial surprise attack.

"Oh, this is ridiculous!" Ryoko cursed through grit teeth. "These guys are too fast for us to handle, if they keep teleporting all over the place!"

"That's just not fair!" Hikaru whined. "We can't even get a lock on these guys... as soon as we seem to get them, they teleport away!"

"Remember, they have a pattern!" Saburouta warned. "We need to learn exactly what it is. After that, we can easily take them!"

"Nice job, pattern!" Izumi threw out another of her trademark bad puns, causing the other two girls and Fiona to groan in annoyance... but Ryoko immediately focused again on the enemy in front of herself, trying to visualize the place where the Shishiki would appear next...

"Alright, pal... let me take a look at how you jump around..." the former commander of the Lion's Sickle squad from the Amaterasu colony muttered darkly. With a flash of black light, the Shishiki disappeared again and reappeared to her side, trying to execute a slash with its staff... but Ryoko was faster than he was, and managed to dodge the blow once again! Then, as the Shishiki Boson Jumped again, the girl turned to what seemed to be a random place in the skies of Mars... and dashed towards it, her combat knife tightly held in her red Aestivalis' hand! "There you are!"

"Huh? Ryoko, what are you..." Hikaru began to inquire... and just then, the Shishiki Ryoko was dealing with reappeared, exactly a few metres away from Ryoko's Aestivalis... and right on the path of her combat knife! At that distance, there was nothing the assassin could do to dodge the attack... and in fact, the blade slashed through the Shishiki's Distortion field and struck the legless robot in its midsection, slicing into the cockpit and the pilot! There was a chopped off gagging noise as the assassin died, and Ryoko yanked her knife away from the Shishiki, sending it to plummet and explode on the jagged, frozen rocks below!

"Nicely done, lady!" Saburouta complimented her, before dodging another blow from one of the three surviving members of the assassination squad. ""That's one down, three more to go! But it's apparent that we just need to understand how they teleport, and we're pretty much on our way to victory!"

"Then, let's get to work..." Izumi murmured with an unsettling smile, dodging the beams from another Shishiki's staff. The long-haired Aestivalis pilot watched carefully, the single eye not covered by her bangs speeding in all directions as the enemy attempted yet another confusing pattern of teleporting and approaching... and when she had finally gotten the hang of it, she picked the right moment and turned in what appeared to be a random direction, unleashing hell from her Rapid Rifle and forcing the enemy to expand the Shishiki's Distortion Field in order to weather the attack. The assassin teleported away once again, but his time, he reappeared farther away from Izumi's emerald green Aestivalis, in a desperate attempt to regain some ground. Sadly for him, and luckily for the Nadesico pilots, it was not to be, as Izumi sped forward, swerving dangerously right before reaching her opponent, and strafed the Shishiki with another burst of bullets, forcing the Martian Successor exterminator to blink away once again. The legless monk-like robot reappeared... and prompty found itself facing the barrel of Izumi's Rapid Rifle!

"Once your patterns are clear you're not thathard to catch." Izumi smirked. "Say goodnight, baby."

The Aestivalis' finger squeezed the trigger, and the Martian Successor screamed for a last time as the Shishiki's head came apart from the hail of concentrated machine gun fire, and the rest of the robot fell and joined its downed comrades in a smoking, ruined heap on the Martian soil! Hikaru and Saburouta, who were polishing off their own Shishikis at the moment, cheered for their comrade's victory as they flew overhead!

"Yahooo! Nicely done, Izumi! We've got this in the bag!" the glasses-wearing girl exclaimed, blocking the opposing Shishiki's staff with her combat knife, and then pushing the opponent back by expanding her own Distortion Field. Grunting in annoyance, the Martian Successor elite executed another series of desperate Boson Jumps, getting as far away from his opponent as possible... but not fast enough to avoid Hikaru's orange Aestivalis charging him head-on, her right fist extended and surrounded in a shimmering Distortion Field itself!

"**Gekigan Flare! **GOOOOOO!" the bespectacled redhead yelled, mimicking one of the attacks from her favourite old-school anime. There was no time for the Shishiki to Boson Jump away or attempt anything else... and the Aestivalis' fist smashed through the frail little robot and the cockpit, causing both of them to detonate spectacularly one second later, while Hikaru sped away to safety and flashed a victory sign to her friends. "Hehee! See there, Ryoko, Izumi? I can pull my weight too!"

Ryoko smiled gently as she gave her friend a thumbs-up. "Never had any doubt about it, Hikaru! So... how's lizard boy doing?"

"If you're talking about your Jovian boyfriend..." Izumi teased. "He's right there. Too busy taking out that last guy to hear your declaration of love to him, I'm afraid."

Saburouta's Super Aestivalis was proving not to be anything less than a serious threat to the last remaining Shishiki. Weaving in and out of the opponent's reach, firing precise shots from his rifle nd testing the assassin's Distortion Field, the Jovian pilot was slowly but steadily wearing down the opposition. It was really getting to the last of Hokushin's wingmen, who was getting more and more frantic in his attacks against the Jovian ace.

"You damn betrayer!" the Martian Successor elite roared. "Fight me seriously, or don't fight at all!"

"Me, a betrayer?" Saburouta calmly retorted. "I did nothing but stay loyal to my principles until the end... if anything, it's your boss, Kusakabe, that should be considered a betrayer. He went against all Gekiganger stood for... honor, justice, friendship... he twisted these concepts and used them to manipulate the masses, while conducting his own war, for his own twisted plans of conquest."

"Shut up!" the Shishiki pilot fired back. "A lesser mind such as yourself could never hope to understand the true justice that lies within Leader Kusakabe's master plan!"

"I understand all too well... that is why I won't have anything to do with it." the Jovian pilot answered. The last Shishiki that had remained standing teleported for the latest time, trying to sneak behind the Super Aestivalis and shoot a few more beams from its staff... but once again, Saburouta was not caught off guard, and he managed to expand his Distortion Field and repel all enemy fire. With an acrobatic maneuver, the blond took to the air and vaulted over the Shishiki... before swooping downwards extending his Aestivalis' fist towards the enemy! In a fit of panic, the Martian Successor teleported away and reappeared in a place where he was sure the Distortion-field powered punch could not reach him.

Which is why he was flabbergasted when he saw the Super Aestivalis still running towards him with its fist extended... and this time, there was nothing to do to avoid the unbearable blow! Saburouta, having figured out his foe's pattern of Boson Jumping, had swerved right at the last moment, moving towards the place where his opponent was predicted to reappear! And his gambit was right on the money!

"And there you have it!" Saburouta exclaimed. "**Gekigan Flare!**"

The powerful attack struck true, and the frail Shishiki was smashed apart by the Super Aestivalis' extended fist, the piloting Martian Successor only having time to curse his opponent before he was consumed in his robot's explosion. The Martian Successor's elite extermination squad was effectively no more!

"Well... and there you have it! Good guys win six to nothing!" Saburouta joked, casting a look of grim satisfaction at the ruined carcass of the last Shishiki as it plummeted to the icy ground in a heap of twisted metal. "Now, all that is left is for Akito to finish off the bog boss, and we're all set!"

"I'm afraid it won't be so easy..." Fiona commented from the ground. "Look at that... that Hokushin guy is still in the lead!"

Hokushin chuckled cruelly, having clearly witnessed the destruction of its squad, but seemingly unperturbed by that. Its Yatenkou was still locked in battle with Akito's jet-black Blackserena, the two combatants creating a dizzying display of teleporting, gunfire and metal clashing against metal. Nothing dared to get close - the level of the two fighters was simply too far above those of the others for them to be able to make a difference.

"Hehehee... it appears your little friends have done away with my men..." Hokushin sneered, though it was still quite surprised about the outcome. "Not too shabby, I guess I should say. Next time I get a squadron, I'll make sure to teach them not to make their Boson Jumping patterns so predictable."

"There will be no next time, Hokushin." Akito stated in a creepy monotone. The Blackserena did a corkscrew maneuver to its right, spinning on itself as it avoid the Yatenkou's latest swooping attack, and detached some plates of its black armor, sending them against the assassin leader's red mecha like a barrage of impromptu projectiles. Without so much as changing the expression on its face, Hokushin deflected the attacks by simply battering them away with the Yatenkou's staff, and kept up the pressure, bombarding the Blackserena with its staff beams. The black mecha's Distortion Field held for a good while, but a few shots managed to break through it, causing considerable damage.

"You are right, Akito Misumaru. There will be no next time. For you, that is." Hokushin taunted his opponent. The Blackserena tried to get close and personal once again, but the Yatenkou, once again, proved far too agile an opponent to be caught off guardthat easily. The red Martian Successors' robot dodged an head-on attack and quickly Boson Jumped close to the Blackserena, dealing another blow with its staff and sending it on a spiralling course towards the ground! Gritting his teeth, golden lines shining unnaturally on his face and hands, Akito concentrated hard and managed to execute a Boson Jump himself before the Blackserena could crash, and reappeared above Hokushin, trying to impale the Yatenkou with the tip of his black mecha as he swept down once again. Again, it proved to be ineffective as Hokushin simply flew sideways and avoided the hit.

"There was never any chance for you... nor for any of your little friends." Hokushin went on, taking cruel pleasure in prolonging Akito's pain. "They will be wiped out... just as our leader's forces will take out all obstacles in their way and usher in a glorious new order!"

That was the wrong thing to say. The fire within Akito, which had been dormant ever since the tortures inflicted onhim by Kusakabe and his minions, was restoked once again... and before the Yatenkou could try another attack, the Blackserena swerved again and regained altitude, firing a pair of red lasers from two cannons placed on the sides.

"Did I not tell you that this is not going to be enough to defeat me?" Hokushin sneered once again, its Distortion Field deflecting the lasers as if they were nothing but a breeze. However, the bright light distracted it just enough to allow the Blackserena to execute a flawless maneuver above the Yatenkou... and in a move that surprised the master assassin, Akito shredded more parts from his Blackserena's outer hull, and threw them at his opponent, wrapped in a shimmering mini-Distortion Field. Hokushin's mismatched eyes widened in anger and surprise when he saw the shrapnel dart towards him like a swarm of angry locusts, and tried to Boson Jump out of the way... but not fast enough to avoid the first couple of them, that blasted a couple holes in the red robot's outer hull. Hokushin bit back a curse, and the Yatenkou lost altitude before the silver-clad assassin managed to regain control somehow. However, Akito had had more than enough time to get a second wind... and when his opponent reappeared, Akito Boson Jump right next to him, ramming the Yatenkou with the Blackserena's armored side!

"Uuuuugh..." Hokushin grunted. "Don't... get too cocky!"

Akito answered nothing once again, executing yet another teleport before pointing his Blackserena's front straight at his opponent... and this time, the whole outer hull of the Blackserena was flying apart, revealing a sleek, magenta-red robot, similar to an Aestivalis, hidden underneath it!

"What?" Ryoko exclaimed as she watched the fight from her onboard cameras. "This isn't possible... That Blackserena thing... was actually Akito's Aestivalis in disguise?"

What little remained of the Blackserena's hull fell, and the red aestivalis that formed the main body darted at the Yatenkou, fist extended and wreathed in a Distortion Field! Akito let out a warlike cry of vengeance, his mind only focused on the enemy in front of him, eager to get payback for what the Martian Successors had done to him and Yurika... and to all of his friends! And this time, even Hokushin's superhumanly enhanced reflexes availed it nothing against the Blackserena's pilot's righteous rage!

The right fist of Akito's Aestivalis struck the Yatenkou in its midsection before Hokushin could reorganize itself and attempt a new Boson Jump, shattering the red mecha's Distortion Field and punching a hole right through its armor... and into Hokushin's cockpit, smashing the silver-clad humanoid monster against the cold, hard steel! Its body half-crushed between the metal and the Aestivalis' fist, Hokushin gagged and spat out a mouthful of crimson blood. A blow of such magnitude was fatal even for it, and it knew that... but after a moment of surprise, Hokushin simply smirked and its soul, if it even had one, fled its body with a handful of parting words.

"Well... done..." Hokushin croaked, before Akito's Aestivalis shook off his now-immobile opponent and sent the Yatenkou plummeting to the ground. It failed to get even halfway through its fall, before it exploded in a monumental blast, putting an end to Hokushin and its elite assassin squad. In the meanwhile, the rest of the Nadesico crew was polishing off the rest of the enemies, destroying unmanned Battas and mass-produced Aestivalis, Sternkugels and Maduras. Now, the bulk of the enemy forces had been destroyed, and little else was in the way of the Nadesico crew.

"Awesome!" Fiona cheered, watching as Genichiro's Alstroemeria slashed a few Battas apart, and Ryoko and her friends shot down a bunch of Martian Successor robots. "Now we can get to the Martian Successors' HQ... this time, nothing can stop us!"

"_Heheheee... try not to get too cocky about it, Fiona!_" Mitsuko chided her from the Nadesico-C's main bridge. "_You know how it is... something always happens just when you think everything's gonna be A-Okay!_"

"Heheheee... you've been watching one movie too many, Mitsuko!" Fiona good-naturedly dismissed her friend's warning... just as a warning sound came from the Excellence-S' consoles, signalling that something was approaching! Something unknown, and incredibly powerful... the readings were all off the scale, and the instruments seemed to be going haywire! "Ah! What's going on here? Ugh, just when it seemed things were actually getting good... what's the matter here?"

"_Be careful, everyone. It seems we are not out of the woods yet._" Ruri's image appeared on everybody's comm screens, calm as usual despite the factthat things were rapidly going to Hell. The sky above them had darkened, and strange displays of lightning were dancing over the horizon, creating a dazzling aurora borealis effect. "_The Nadesico is detecting strange perturbations in front of us, along with a huge buildup of energy..._"

Fiona clutched her controls and tried to back away... when a familiar voice boomed through the strange thunderstorm, shaking the walls of her cockpit and causing her blood to run cold!

"**YOU HAVE COME A LONG WAY. YET, THE MISTAKE STILL PERSISTS. IT SHALL BE RECTIFIED SOON.**"

"You..." Fiona muttered, recognizing the strange entity that had spoken to her at the lunar labs... and had caused her to be involved in all the mess in the first place!

**oooooooooo**

Things were not quieter in the Martian Successors' HQ: Haruki Kusakabe and Aritomo Shinjo, already in disbelief at the announcement that Hokushin and the rest of the Shishiki squad had been completely wiped out, were now beginning to panic when the strange perturbation began flailing the landscape. A bolt of electricity, coming too close to the HQ, shortcircuited several instruments, and caused the light inside the base to dim down!

"What's going on here?" Kusakabe exclaimed. "Do something! Stop the Nadesico-C and solve this problem! We can't be denied our triumph now that we're so close to it!"

"We're doing our best, leader Kusakabe!" Yamasaki exclaimed, his previous panache being gradually replaced by fear. "But... this is an happening the likes of which we've never seen! The computers are baffled as to how this could be... I'm getting contradicting readings!"

"Then make sense of them, and put everything back online!" Shinjo ordered. "Everyone, back at your workstations! We cannnot let up! We cannot be defeated here! The New Order demands that we prevail!"

**oooooooooo**

The battle near Axis was still ongoing, as Amuro Ray and his Nu Gundam were getting closer and closer to the speeding asteroid, his Fin Funnels darting in and out to shoot down any approaching menace. His Newtype perceptions allowed him to sense Kira and Athrun struggling with all of their might against their respective opponents, and several other threats and allies darting all around him, in a desperate attempt to either defend Axis or to clear a way for the Terminal forces to shoot their nuclear missiles. His eyes peeled and his nerves set, the Newtype ace shot down an approaching Yakt Doga and pushed his Gundam's engines to a greater speed, trying to reach the asteroid...

And just then, he felt a familiar, hostile pressure on the back of his mind... and heturned in that direction just in time, as something red and bulky, yet tremendously agile, darted towards him, its mono-eye fashing a dangerous shade of green...

"It's you..." Amuro murmured, steeling himself for the deciding battle between him and his arch-nemesis!

"Amuro!" Char exclaimed, his blood-red Sazabi stopping in front of the Nu Gundam, beam rifle in hand. The two legendary rivals were now one in front of the other, in the middle of the chaotic battlefield... and ready to put an end to their grudge, one way or another...

"I will not let you get close to Axis." the blond Neo Zeon leader said in a challeging tone. "We'll end this here and now, Amuro!"

"Char! This time... I will defeat you for sure!" Amuro fired back. The two mighty Mobile Suits slid into a fighting stance, as Axis was getting closer and closer to the Earth...

**oooooooooo**

"Chairman Durandal... Axis is nearing the point of no return!" Talia informed the ZAFT chairman, sitting close to her on the Minerva's main bridge. "In a few minutes, it will be impossible for Terminal to knock it off course, and it will be taken by the Earth's gravitational field."

"That would be most inconvenient..." Durandal mused. "How about the Destiny and Legend Gundams? What's their position?"

"They should be far enough..." Talia said, checking on the status screen. "Indeed they are! We can set off our backup plan whenever you want, Chairman!"

"Good..." Durandal said, narrowing his eyes. "Then, get everything ready. We shall intervene shortly. Char is too quick to assume victory..."

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Author's Note: And so, the battle continues... with a few twists and turns, and the return of the mysterious entity that Fiona, Lahge and Mitsuko faced at the Lunar Labs, and that kicked off the whole plot in the first place! What are its intents? Can Fiona do anything to stop it in its tracks, or are we going to go through a repeat of what happened in the beginning?**

**Hokushin and its minions are done for, and Quess gets an happier ending than canon - in fact, I used the Gundam Evolve 5 scene for this one. However, things are about to get a lot worse, before they get better... and it's not guaranteed that they will get better at all...**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter! It will come as soon as I am able to!**


	18. The Worst Conclusion

**Super Robot Wars S**

**Here I am!**

**It's been kind of a stressful period for me, and I'm afraid it will last for quite a long time... I'm just grateful I still have the weekends to myself! Studying at home might not be the most exciting thing ever, but at least it allows me to relax and not think about sad things... yeah, so I'm having one of my periodical struggles with depression, which I hope won't affect the quality of this chapter. The mood certainly won't be one of the most upbeat, seeing as several series involved in this mega crossover will come to an end here. And it might not be an happy ending...**

**But is this it? Or Fiona and her friends are destined for something more? Can this story really end without anyone having received their just rewards or desserts? **

**I guess we just have to wait and see, don't we?**

**Get ready. This chapter is going to change everything, in more ways than one! The story might have taken off just now... but something groundbreaking is about to happen in this chapter, and things will never be the same again for Fiona and her friends.**

**For the rest of the protagonists as well...**

**Actually, you know, for the rest of the universe at large!**

**Therefore, brace yourselves. This is not going to be a forgettable chapter.**

**And of course... have fun!**

**ooooooooo**

**Chapter 18 - The Worst Conclusion**

Another place... another world...

"_Huhuhuhuuu... is that the best the famed Black Knights and the Holy Empire of Britannia are capable of doing? What a joke!_" a taunting female voice came from the monstrous red robot standing in front of a whole host of Knightmare Frames from both the Japanese and the Britannian armies. Sadly, most of the diminutive robots had already fallen, and had now been reduced to little more than a pile of smoldering ruin... it was clear that nothing they could do was going to even hold off that single, yet seemingly unstoppable, enemy for long... "_Then again, I guess I shouldn't have expected much... after I defeated Gaiking, the Flame Giant, there was not much else that could stand in my way! Certainly not you, with your silly bunch of toys!_"

Among the opposing army of Japanese / Britannian Knightmare Frames, a young red-haired woman piloting a red robot with an oversized clawed arm, grit her teeth in anger. Ace pilot Kallen Kouzuki, daughter of a Japanese woman and a Britannian man, had tried her best to defeat this mighty enemy... but without the guide she and the other Black Knights had been relying on for so long, things were looking really grim!

"Damn..." she cursed, before turning to the pilot of the white robot flanking her. "Suz... I mean, Zero... do you have any idea what we can do? The Darius The 18th is just too strong, we can't hold on for much longer!"

"I... wish there was something more we could do, Kallen..." the pilot of the white Knightmare Frame, the once-mighty Lancelot Albion, now missing an arm and a leg from battle damage, answered, his voice muffled by the face-hiding mask he was wearing. "Sadly, without Gaiking and our allies... we really can't do much against the Darius forces. I'm afraid this is it..."

Kallen felt fear grip at her heart, along with the despairing realization that all the sacrifices that had been made were going to be in vain before the crushing might of the Darius The 18th... and she desperately wished that someone that was long gone from this world could come back and work up a miracle, once again...

"Lelouch..." she murmured to herself, squeezing her eyes shut in despair. "I'm so sorry... I guess... we couldn't do it after all..."

"_Well? Is that it? You're not even going to try and fight back?_" the woman piloting the Darius the 18th taunted once again. "_That's too bad, I was expecting you to have a little more fire inside of you! Well, no matter... If that's how you want it, I'll put you all out of your misery right now!_"

"You will do no such thing!" A daring voice from a nearby Knightmare Frame exclaimed, as the pilot made a valiant... yet apparently useless... attempt to stop the towering Darius The 18th. "Zero trusts us with defending this world... and we are going to fight you to until there is some life left in us! I, Shinichiro Tamaki, Zero's best buddy, will make sure of this!"

However, this courageous - if over the top - challenge failed to impress the pilot of the colossal robot, who answered with a nasty chuckle. "_Hehehehee... until there is some life left in you? Not for much longer, then!_"

"That's what you think!" Commander Kyoshiro Todoh, field commander of the Black Knights, exclaimed from his Zangetsu Knightmare Frame's cockpit, as he led a whole squadron of Akatsuki units and his fiancee's Gekka in this final, all-or-nothing attack. With an enraged yell, Kallen pushed her Guren Seiten forward as well, followed by Zero's Lancelot Albion and their ally Xing-Ke's Shen-Hu. However, in the cockpit of the Darius The 18th, the enemy commander smirked again, speaking in a falsely affable tone.

"_Oh, my, my... how regrettable! It truly seems there's no cure for stupidity..._" she taunted the Black Knights, as the eyes of her robot began glowing an unholy crimson. "_I have destroyed the mighty Gaiking and those Daiku-Maryuu rebels... and you truly think you can take me on? Very well then..._"

The jaws of the Darius The 18th opened up ever so slightly, and a green sphere of ennergy began forming between its teeth, as the woman's smile grew wider and more demented.

"_You shall learn the price of your foolishness! DIE!_"

The monstrous robot opened it jaws and shot out a concentrated beam of green energy, which quickly covered the view of all the Black Knights! In a desperate attempt to resist, Kyoshiro and his subordinates swerved to the side, trying to avoid the searing beam of energy...

**oooooooooo**

This was it. The deciding battle. The Nu Gundam and the Sazabi were in front of each other, the falling Axis and the hellish battle raging all around them as a backdrop... Amuro Ray and Char Aznable were about to have their showdown right then and there... and the two mighty Mobile Suits were still flying around each other, each one of them waiting for the other to commit a fatal mistake...

No more words were necessary... it was just the two of them now...

And after a few tense moment, Amuro made the first strike!

The Nu Gundam grabbed its beam saber with its right hand and swung it with all of its might, aiming for the much bigger Sazabi's midsection, where the cockpit was located. But just as Amuro expected, Char was far too good a pilot to be caught off-guard by such a straightforward attack. With a quick movement of the Sazabi's arms, he unlimbered his heat axe from the red robot's back and used it to block the Nu Gundam's swing, before pushing it back with all of his might. The Nu Gundam skidded to a halt, but quickly dashed upwards and brought out its beam rifle, shooting several beams at the Sazabi. Char grit his teeth as one of the beams came too close for confort, grazing the Sazabi's left shoulder pad... and he concentrate briefly, letting his funnels loose. Amuro was quick to counter by deploying a few of the Nu Gundam's Fin Funnels, and starting an exchange of beams with his lifelong enemy. None of them reached its mark, as the two pilots were skilled enough to predict where the next beam would hit and dodge just in time. The two Mobile Suits darted towards each other once again and their weapon clashed in a shower of electrical sparks... then, they broke off again and flew away for a bit, before closing the distance and trying again!

"You are just as skilled as I expected, Amuro!" Char commented, with straight sincerity. "You truly are a worthy opponent!"

"Tch... spare me your platitudes, Char..." Amuro fired back as he attempted to shoot the Sazabi again. Once more, despite its bulk, Char's red Mobile Suit was able to easily dodge the shots. "And answer me this: what do you happen to know about the Psyco Frame Anaheim used to create this Gundam? I'm sure you know something more than you let on! What's the meaning of this?"

Char smiled, half from amusement, half from bitterness. "You are sharp, other than skilled, Amuro Ray..." he said with a somewhat condescending attitude. "But I'm afraid you did not grasp the whole picture. It's not just that I know of the Psyco Frame technology... it was I who leaked that technology to Anaheim Electronic and Terminal."

Amuro's eyes widened as more Fin Funnels opened fire, intercepting the Sazabi's own funnels. "What? You mean that..." he murmured, words failing him for a second. "You mean it was you who deliberately gave us the Psyco Frame to build this Nu Gundam with? What's the meaning of this, Char?"

"I told you, Amuro... this will be the deciding battle between us two..." Char continued. "It would give me no satisfaction nor sense of closure to win against a mediocre Mobile Suit."

"Damn you..." the younger Newtype answered in anger. "So that's why you gave us the Psyco Frame? You wanted to feel superior? I've had enough of your high-and-mighty attitude! You can keep dreaming of your ideal, but you'll never be able to change the world!"

Char vehemently denied this as their weapons met each other for the umpteenth time in the span of only a few minutes. "This was never about changing the world!" he answered... failing to convince Amuro as the Terminal ace pushed the Sazabi's heat axe backwards.

"You can pull the wool over people's eyes with your big talk and your foolish pride, but when they'll see what you truly are about, they'll reject you!" he said.

"Don't you dare preach this nonsense to me, you fool!" was Char's irate response. "You, who are perfectly okay with letting people use you because of your talents!"

Amuro managed to smile slightly, recanting what his younger friend, Kira, had said to Rau Le Creuset during the final battle at Jachin Due, during the previous war. "At the risk of stealing one of Kira's quotes... even if what you say was true, I am not defined by my abilities alone!" he said, before breaking the lock their weapons were in, turning around and kicking the Sazabi in the chest! Char grunted in pain as his Mobile Suit was tossed away from the Nu Gundam, and ended up almost slamming against a floating piece of debris, but managed to stop himself just in time, and once more brought his funnels out and sent them swarming against the Nu Gundam.

"You can say whatever you will, Amuro! Empty words like these have no effect on my will!" the Neo Zeon leader said. "If you want to stop Axis from hitting the Earth, you will have to defeat me with your own strength!"

"And that's exactly what I am going to do!" was Amuro's quick answer. The Nu Gundam flew away from the funnels, but the remote-controlled weapons fired earlier than Amuro had anticipated and managed to nick the Nu Gundam's right leg and elbow, damaging it somewhat, before Amuro brought his I-Field up. Amuro flew back and tried to close the distance again, his Fin Funnels never getting too far away from his Gundam...

**oooooooooo**

Once again, Kira and Shinn raced towards each other, beam sabers in their hands, in an attempt to end the fight right then and there... and once again, they denied this chance to each other as their weapon clashed against each other, and the two ace pilots began circling each other, trying to outpace the other. However, Kira had deliberately left one of his DRAGOON pods floating... and he used it to fire an azure beam that forced Shinn to quickly dodge in order not to get hit! The red-eyed FAITH member bit back a curse as he swerved to avoid getting hit, and Kira took advantage of that moment to dash in and attack with his beam saber! Shinn's incredibly honed reflexes allowed him to avoid being hit head-on, but the laser blade still caught the Destiny's elbow joint, separating the forearm from the rest of the body in a shower of sparkles! Shinn screamed in anger and frustration, and turned his palm-mounted cannon towards the Strike Freedom, in an attempt to blast Kira point-blank... but again, Kira was too fast to get hit like that! However, Shinn's rage and determination were allowing the younger pilot to move faster, and the Destiny's hand-mounted canon fired a split second before Kira had predicted, severely damaging the Strike Freedom's leg! The Ultimate Coordinator yelped in pain as his cockpit was shaken once again, several red alarm lights popping up all over the consoles... but he managed to hold tight to the controls and get into a fighting stance once again, before his opponent could retaliate.

Trying to take advantage of his momentary superiority and his opponent's loss of mobility after having the Strike Freedom's leg shredded, Shinn tried to dash towards his opponent and force him into close quarters fighting... but he had not predicted Kira to be able to turn the tables on his, grabbing the Destiny Gundam's arms and pulling it with all of its might before releasing it and sending the ZAFT ace plummeting towards a floating piece of rock! Shinn grunted in pain and was thrown forward in his seat, the sheer force of the blow hurting his ribcage... but despite the anger, Shinn managed to crack a smirk as he saw that they were far enough from Axis. This was the right moment... he could only hope that the Strike Freedom would not back down and get back in Axis' proximities! It just wouldn't do if Kira Yamato died so easily... he wanted to do the deed himself! Only that would give him the closure he wanted! Now, it was only a matter of waiting for the moment when the fireworks would start...

Kira, for his part, had to wonder what Shinn was trying to do. It seemed to the Terminal ace that his opponent was trying to lure him away from Axis, but for what reason, Kira could only guess at. For now, he could only keep up with attacking, and try to weather the furious Shinn's relentless assault...

"This is getting nowhere fast..." Kira commented. "I need to score a deciding blow soon, or things will go south in a hurry..."

**oooooooooo**

Athrun was facing a similar predicament: both the Infinite Justice and the Legend had already taken quite a bit of damage, but the pilot of the Legend seemed to be more willing to ignore the damage taken and continue fighting, sending his DRAGOON pods all over the place in an attempt to draw Athrun towards the surface of Axis... for some reason. Of course, Athrun was not as daft as to believe that Rey didn't have some really serious motive for trying to keep the Infinite Justice close to the speeding asteroid while he himself tried to gain distance... and he was not going to let the pilot of the Legend have his way! Now, if only he could just do away with those annoying DRAGOON pods without exposing himself to undue risk...

"Okay then... let's see how he likes this!" Athun murmured to himself as he detached the Fatum-2 flight unit strapped to the Infinite Justice's back. A paor of beam saber-like green blades lit up on the front of the flying device as the Infinite Justice climbed on its back and sped towards the Legend and through the plethora of beams unleashed by the DRAGOON system. Rey, inside the Legend's cockpit, frowned noticeably as the Infinite Justice managed to dance its way through the maze of searing beams, and finally got close enough to lead at him and attack again! But while Rey was expecting a full-out hand-to-hand assault, Athrun caught him by surprise by launching his Infinite Justice's beam boomerang! A DRAGOON pod was caught by the flying laser blade and sliced in half before exploding... and then, the beam boomerang continued on its way and sliced a gash through the Legend's right arm, causing the mighty Providence lookalike to stumble. Athrun was quick to capitalize on Rey's moment of weakness, and swept down with incredible speed and adroitness, his beam saber clashing with the Legend's beam javelin.

"Such skill... it is commendable that you managed to fully defend against the Legend's DRAGOON system." Rey commented, never seeming upset or angry. "It is regrettable, really, that you have chosen to side against Chairman Durandal... you would have ushered in a world free of war!"

"I already told you that I am not going to believe this deceit again!" Athrun fired back. "The world Chairman Durandal wants to create... is a world where people have no freedom, and have to simply follow their destiny without being able to hope for more!"

"It is exactly this misguided kind of hope that is destroying the future!" was Rey's answered. The blond ZAFT ace even sounded somewhat more unhinged now... and for a moment, Athrun was shocked as he could see, even if for a fleeting second, Rau Le Crueset's masked face in the place of the Gundam's faceplate. "People are never content with what they have, they desire more and more... seeking a prize that is not theirs for the taking, corrupting and fouling what they come across in an attempt to bend it to their wills... this is not the way the world is supposed to be! Therefore... we will tear this faulty system down and rebuilt it all, the right way this time!"

"Rey, you..." Athrun murmured in shock, as a realization began dawning over him. However, he managed to quickly get ahold of himself. "If you are not going to listen... then I will have to force you to! Prepare yourself!"

"Hmph..." Rey muttered, as he got ready to sustain another assault from the Infinite Justice. His Legend had been damaged, but it was still within acceptable limits... "You can say whatever you want, it will not change the facts. You had a chance of helping Gil create a world without pain and without suffering, and you threw it away. The choice is yours... as are the consequences."

The Legend and the Infinite Justice sped towards each other, weapons drawn and ready to fight...

**oooooooooo**

"Status report!" Talia Gladys exclaimed, as a series of explosions came dangerously close to the Minerva, forcing her to hold tight in order to avoid being thrown around. "What's the status of the Destiny and the Legend? Where are they, with respect to Axis?"

"We've got them at a reasonable distance, Captain!" one of the bridge operators answered. "Both the Legend and the Destiny are at a safe distance from the target... whenever you give us the word, we are ready to enter the next phase!"

"I see... Chairman, we await for your word." the blond captain turned to her superior and lover, who stood silent for a few seconds, as if gathering his thoughts...

...and then, with a simple nod, gave his consent.

"Very well, then. Proceed." he quietly ordered.

**oooooooooo**

The two combatants were still fighting with all of their might, making hit-and-run attacks at each other, and strafing each other with barrages of lasers from their funnels... and yet, none of them had scored a decisive hit, and both of them were getting rather frustrated about it. Amuro managed to swerve out of the way just in time to avoid a green energy beam coming from the Sazabi's chest-mounted gun, and retaliated with a powerful swing from his beam saber, which nicked the Sazabi's side but only inflicted a little bit of cosmetic damage. Then, the Nu Gundam retreated from a slice from the Sazabi's heat axe, narrowly managing to avoid getting its arm lopped off.

Amuro and Char stood their ground for a few seconds, squaring off against each other and waiting for the other to commit a mistake... they were so concentrated on each other that they seemed to be phasing out the rest of the battle...

And that was when it happened.

A deafening series of blasts broke their concentration, and a powerful shockwave, coming from Axis itself, knocked the two mighty Mobile Suits off balance and forced the two lifelong enemies to brace themselves and frantically swerve to avoid being hit by a torrent of debris that sped towards them at breakneck speed! Several Mobile Suits, both from Terminal and the ZAFT / Neo Zeon allliance, who were in the proximities did not have the same luck, and were hit by the hail of rocks and debris, getting destroyed or severely damaged... and, in a moment of pure chaos, Amuro and Char turned to Axis to see just what had happened.

What Char saw caused him to lose his composure, and his eyes to widen in surprise and anger!

The gigantic mining asteroid was being broken apart by a series of explosions, undoubtedly coming from inside of it! Axis' structure could not hold together for long... and under the disbelieving eyes of both armies, Axis was separating into countless smaller chunks, leaving very little of the immense menace that was about to be caught by the Earth's gravitational field!

"What?" Amuro exclaimed. "Axis is being destroyed? That could only mean..." he stopped himself short, understanding that this was, without a doubt, all the work of ZAFT and their agents...

Char grit his teeth, cursing his own naivete. There was only one possible explanation for this, and he didn't like it one bit. Unfortunately for him, his hunch was confirmed when he received a transmission from the Minerva's main bridge, and the serene, pale face of Chairman Gilbert Durandal appeared upon it.

"Chairman Durandal!" Char exclaimed, his voice raising ever so slightly. "What is the meaning of this? The whole operation... had been sabotaged from the very beginning, right?"

In the face of Char's anger, Durandal kept a remarkable composure. "_I apologize for my deception, Colonel Char Aznable_." he said quietly, bowing hishead a little in an apologetic gesture. "_I would not have wanted to resort to such underhanded means. However, it was plain to me, from the very beginning, that while our objectives were similar in many ways, our respective agendas could not be reconciled. Causing nuclear winter on Earth would act counter to the whole point of the Destiny Plan, whose objective is to allow a better life for both Earhlings and colonists_."

"I see..." Char answered, now calmer but still visibly angry. "Therefore, you had your agents infiltrate the Neo Zeon ranks, and sabotage the operation from within."

"_That is correct_." was Durandal's simple answer. "_Back at Londenion, a FAITH agent was among the diplomats sent to discuss the peace conditions with the New Earth Federation personnel. I was informed of the fact that you had purchased Axis from them, and it was rather easy for me to come to the conclusion that your plan entailed dropping Axis on Earth. My agents, who have been working on Axis alongside yours, managed to plant high-potential explosives in key points of Axis' structure... and as soon as Axis was within acceptable range from Earth, they had all the charges detonate at the same time. The results are self-evident, I dare say._"

Char couldn't do much but watch as Axis crumbled into countless pieces, reducing the gargantuan mining asteroid in space rubble that was useless for his plan. Some of them would still have caused damage, but the vast majority of them would burn in the atmosphere. His plan had been utterly ruined... but the experienced commander did not let that thought dominate him, and quickly regained his cool. "I understand, Chairman Durandal. Truth be told, I had a suspicion that our alliance would not have lasted too long. I just did not expect you to make your move right now." he stated. "Fine, that just goes to show that I let myself get caught off guard. A regrettable mistake. But there is still one thing I can do, right now."

With that, Char closed the communication with the Minerva, and instead opened a channel to his own flagship, the Rewloola. "_Colonel_!" Nanai's face appeared on the screen, her professionalism failing to completely mask her shock at what had just happened. "_The situation has plummeted... Quess' Alpha Aziel has evacuated the battlefield, and the Rewloola and several other ships have been severely damaged by the close blast. We have to retreat... the day is lost. Please, get back to the Rewloola_."

"I cannot do that, Nanai." Char answered. "You deliver the order to the rest of our units. We'll pull out, return to Sweetwater and begin forming another plan. However, there is still something I have to do here... the other reason I set this all up in the first place."

Nanai was shocked at this. "_What? You mean you're going to stay and finish your battle with the Nu Gundam_?" she exclaimed. "_Colonel, it's too dangerous to stay! Please, pull back_!"

"Are you saying I should just abandon this battle, Nanai?" Char asked severely. "Do not interfere in this! It's between me and Amuro!"

The Terminal ace smiled bitterly despite everything that was going on around them. Already, the ZAFT Mobile Suits were turning on the Neo Zeon ones, turning what was already a chaotic battle into a terrifying free-for-all... but even with his plan falling apart, Char was still hell-bent on settling his score with him. And Amuro was not about to let him escape to fight another day... "Fine then, Char... if that is what you want, we'll put an end to our fight! It's about time we ended this!"

"This is the one thing we both agree on!" Char exclaimed as he summoned his funnels once again, pointing them at the Nu Gundam...

**oooooooooo**

On board the Archangel, the unexpected situation had caught everyone off guard as well... especially Murrue, who was ready to unload the Archangel's payload at the gigantic asteroid, and had seen their target be destroyed without even firing a shot!

"What just went on with Axis?" she asked. "What's the deal wth those explosions?"

"It seems that Axis was destroyed by several explosive charges set up in its interior..." Meyrin answered, looking at her screens and consoles in disbelief. "The Neo Zeon units are turning against the ZAFT ones... it seems that the enemy formation is falling apart!"

"It's a three-sided battle... In theend, it seems Neo Zeon and ZAFT broke ranks with each other." Neumann commented. Both he and Murrue had understood what exactly was going on, and Lacus' and Bright's surprised yet determined faces popping up on Murrue's comm screen did nothing but reinforce that belief.

"If that is the case, then this is our best chance to press the attack and take out both factions in one fell swoop." Bright answered. "We also need to take out the bigger debris... they could still do considerable damage to the Earth if left unchecked."

Lacus nodded. "Of course. For that, our flagships' main cannons should be enough. But take care of your aiming, we should be careful not to hit our own units. What's the status of the Strike Freedom, Infinite Justice and Nu Gundam?" she asked.

"Still locked in combat with the Destiny Gundam, the Legend Gundam and the Sazabi." Murrue answered after receiving a confirmation from Meyrin. "They were just outside the range of the blast, and they only took minor damage from the shockwave... they are still operational."

"I understand..." Murrue said, hoping to herself that everyone was going to be safe.

**oooooooooo**

Kira shook his head, trying to shake off the dizziness. Luckily, his Strike Freedom was much sturdier than it looked, and its Phase Shift Armor was more than strong enough to handle the shockwave from the explosion... but so was the Destiny, who had emerged pretty much unscathed and was still facing him, ready for another clash!

"Ugh... Axis just... blew up?" Kira coughed, quickly recalibrating the Strike Freedom's instruments.

Shinn looked just as surprised as Kira was... but in his case, the startlement quickly gave way to a pleased smile. "Heh... I had to imagine it would have ended up like that! Chairman Durandal thought of everything..." he said. "Looks like Char's plan to drop an asteroid on Earth has miserably failed... but still, this doesn't change anything! The fact remains that you and I still have a score to settle, and we'll settle it... right now!"

"I knew Char and Durandal's alliance would soon dissolve... but I really did not expect it to be now." Kira murmured, raising his beam saber to defend himself against Shinn's relentless attack. The two blades collided with each other, and Kira felt tremendous force behind the younger ace pilot's swings... a power multiplied by the hatred and vengeance Shinn felt towards Terminal. However, Kira did not lose hope and quickly reserved the contrast, turning Shinn's own strength against him as the Strike Freedom pulled back and turned around like an aikido pratictioner! The ZAFT Gundam stumbled forward, and Shinn let out a scream of frustrated rage as he tried to regain his balance... but not before Kira managed to score a hit with his beam saber on the Destiny's unprotected back! Getting more and more blinded by his rage, Shinn turned around and slashed the Strike Freedom in the midsection, but Kira managed to pull back without suffering undue damage, and fired a shot that struck the Destiny in its shoulder, causing the ZAFT Gundam to be thrown backwards!

"Aaaargh! Damn you, Strike Freedom!" Shinn roared. "You are not going to make fun of me anymore! DIE!"

With a primal scream of rage, Shinn charged forward, trying to bring his anti-ship sword to bear on the Strike Freedom... and this time, the sheer strength behind the swing was enough to knock the Strike Freedom off balance and damage its outer armor, causing several fissures to appear upon it as Kira grit his teeth in frustration. Both machines had been fighting fiercely for a long time, and both were getting closer and closer to a complete breakdown... Kira knew he had to make his next attacks count...

**oooooooooo**

Athrun narrowed his eyes, glaring at the Legend Gundam floating in front of him, its remaining DRAGOON pods ready to shoot. He was glaring at the wreckage of Axis, while suppressing a shudder at the thought that, had he been just a little slower, he would have been struck by the bulk of the explosion. It was obviously part of Rey's plan...

"So... that's what you had in mind, right?" the blue-haired young man asked rhetorically, his beam saber ready at his side. "You were attempting to lure me into the blast zone to easily get rid of me, isn't it? Just like you tried to take me out when I had begun suspecting..."

Rey did not seem affected by the verbal rebuke. His DRAGOON pods fired a barrage, which forced the Infinite Justice to dodge and make an upwards dash, before swooping down on his opponent with his beam saber drawn and ready to strike! An overhead slash opened a gash in the Legend's chestplate and sent the Providence-knockoff reeling, but Rey managed to regain his momentum and attacked back with his beam javelin, striking the Infinite Justice in the arm and almost slicing the limb off. Athrun bit back a curse and shook the Legend Gundam off of himself, before firing a series of beams from his beam rifle, further damaging his opponent. Rey got away and threw off Athrun's aiming, but he quickly recalled his DRAGOON pods and fired again, forcing Athrun back as the Infinite Justice's Fatum-2 unit detached again, as the blue-haired pilot got ready to take another swoop at his opponent. As he looked around himself, Athrun saw just how much the situation had gotten worse: ZAFT and Neo Zeon Mobile Suits were turning against one another, quickly escalating into an all-out struggle for survival - the Neo Zeon were trying to retreat, and the ZAFT units were trying to take them out and keep Terminal at bay at the same time...

"_Still,_" Athrun thought, seeing the bright side of it all. "_We do have a small advantage in all of this: now that the enemies are fighting amongst themselves, this could be our best chance to take out both factions... One has to hope the Nadesico crew has been just as lucky..._"

**oooooooooo**

Sadly, Athrun's hopes were soon to be dashed. Sure, the Nadesico-C and the Blackserena, along with Akito and Lapis' support ship, had managed to break through the defence lines of the Martian Successors, and their elite assassin squad had been taken out, Hokushin included. But now, something unexpected had happened to sour their victory just as they were about to storm the Martian Successors' HQ... the unknown enemy Fiona and her friends had met at the lunar base had popped up once again, throwing everyone for a loop! The Aestivalis, the Blackserena, the Alstroemeria and the two battleship were standing still in the midst of the now-silent battlefield, among the wrecked carcasses of several Jovian and Martian Successor robots... and were staring in disbelief at the rift that was forming in the sky, like a black hole...

"I can't believe this..." Mitsuko exclaimed from the Nadesico-C' bridge. "The consoles are giving off strange measures again... something very big is coming out of that thing! But... I have no idea what that could be!"

Inez Fressange herself seemed to be at a loss as to how to explain that. It resembled nothing she had ever seen before... and in her life, she had seen things normal humans could scarcely dream of! "I... don't know myself..." she said in a rarely-seen moment of awe. "This is a phenomenon that has no precedence that I know of! However, one thing I know for sure... it is disrupting the very fabric of the space-time continuum, all around itself!"

"Wh-what?" Hari stammered in fright. Even the cool-headed Ruri and Lahge were rather frightened at what they had just heard, and the fact that the huge hole in the sky was not slowing down either did not help to assuage their fears any! And that was not even considering Fiona and the other pilots out there, who were keeping their weapons drawn and pointed at the dimensional disturbance, waiting for whatever it was that was about to come out.

"Dammit... just when we thought we had this in the bag..." Ryoko muttered fiercely. "Hey, Fiona! Can you tell us anything about this thing? Something we might use to fight it?"

"Sorry, I don't know much about it myself..." the redhead said, feverishly gripping her controls. The desire to get back at that mysterious entity for what it had pulled at the lunar base was strong... but so was the fear that was threatening to overwhelm her, as an ominous sound reverberated all around... "Just... stay close, and be ready for anything!"

"**IT IS MOST FORTUNATE... THE PRIZE I WAS LOOKING FOR WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME ALL ALONG... AND I JUST NEED TO COLLECT IT TO RECTIFY THE MISTAKE...**" the booming voice thundered in a cryptic way, as something huge and incredibly alien-looking began emerging from the dark dimensional passage. Everyone's eyes snapped open at the awesome, terrifying sight that slowly presented itself in front of them - nothing could have prepared them for what they were seeing now, and it was, without a shadow of a doubt, the most incredible thing any of them had ever seen!

Floating in front of them was an alien creature whose body was nothing but an immense red sphere, decorated with some sort of rhomboidal golden rune in the center of it, somewhat resembling a flower with eerily geometrical petals all around it. Two pairs of stubby, useless-looking wings emerged from the top of its unnatural body, flapping pointlessly in the chilling Mars atmosphere, while a larger and more impressive couple of wings protruded from the middle part of its body, sporting the same rosy red coloration of the main body. In the lower part of the sphere, what could conceivably pass for a face was visible, consisting of a huge pair of glassy eyes, a small azure crystal embedded between them. Its body was surrounded by a group of bony extension protruded from the lower half, hugging the strange creature and forming some sort of crude armor all around it. It was truly enormous, about one hundred feet in diameter... and the aura of energy surrounding its body immediately marked it as an opponent that was not to be trifled with!

"Oh, dear... this thing is just... huge!" Hikaru murmured. Izumi, for her part, was so shocked that she couldn't even come up with one of her silly puns, and settled for staring wide-eyed at the terrible wonder in front of her.

"What's this about?" Genichiro asked. "This thing... didn't come through a gate or a Boson Jump..."

"What the heck is that?" Nagare asked, without really excepting an answer to come.

Fiona had to pause and gather her bearings for a while, as the terrifying creature descended to the ground and hovered close to the disbelieving Nadesico-C crew, completely ignoring the few remaining Martian Successors who were somehow trying to take potshots at either it or their original enemies. Bullets were vaporized on contact with the creature's massive body, and whatever happened to be close enough to it appeared to be elongated and distorted, as if the eldritch thing could not be bothered to follow the rules of logics and physics everything else was subject to. It was not just the sheer size, or the unusual appearence... there was a sense of "otherness" about the creature that sent shivers down Fiona's spine.

"Who... what the Hell are you?" Fiona managed to stammer, after a moment of sheer terror. "What... are you here for?"

The unnatural thing rose up in the air, a shimmering aura lighting up around it... and Fiona and her comrades could see its strange eyes shining silver as the creature spoke again, despite having no trace of a mouth.

"**I AM THE ONE WHO COMMITS MISTAKES.**" it spoke. "**I AM THE ONE WHO INVITES MISTAKES. I AM... DUMINUS...**"

"D-Duminus?" Fiona parroted, still having no idea what to make of the otherworldly being. "And... what do you want from us?"

"**FIONA GRAYDEN...**" the huge monster stated, apparently ignoring the question. "**IT WAS BECAUSE OF MY MISTAKE THAT YOU SURVIVED... INDEED, THIS ALL RESULTED BECAUSE OF ME...**"

"What?" Ryoko asked wrathfully, carefully concealing her fear. "What are you talking about, you freakshow?"

"**AND IN THE END, I'LL BE DOING THE SAME THING AS MY CREATOR.**" Duminus stated. With growing fear, Fiona and the Nadesico-C crew saw the strange being floating towards them, slow yet unstoppable. "**BUT, THAT CANNOT BE HELPED. AS THIS IS MY MISTAKE.**"

Duminus' very presence seemed to be warping the landscape around it. The land cracked as if struck by an immense, invisible maul, while ripples began appearing in the air, and the black hole from which Duminus had come began whirling around, a vortex of feverish colors and shadows. In fear, Ryoko, Hikaru and Izumi attempted to shoot the monster with their Rapid Rifles, pelting it with a countless number of bullets... but Duminus shrugged off the attack like a dog does with a flea, and kept advancing...

"Damn, it's not working..." Ryoko swore. Akito's damaged Blackserena shot a barrage of rounds from the leftovers of his Rapid Rifle, but they failed to affect Duminas in any way... and the crew of the Nadesico-C held their breath when the huge monster began glowing, and some sort of luminous kanji appeared over its body...

"Captain... the instruments are detecting a huge amount of energy building up around the unknown's body!" Hari exclaimed in fear. "What... what can we do?"

"Maximum power to the Distortion Field. Have all units retreat back to the hangars!" Ruri ordered, without missing a beat. "This is a fight we cannot win."

"What?" Fiona exclaimed, sounding almost indignated by it all. "No way we are going to retreat now! We're like two steps away from saving Yurika and putting an end to all this! And I still owe this gigantic prick some payback for what he pulled at the lunar base! I'm not pulling out! I'm charging right in!"

"Fiona, please retreat! Don't be a fool!" Lahge tried to recall his childhood friend. But it was too late now - the girl was already pushing her Excellence-S towards the towering menace, who had scarsely paid attention to the reckless attack, and was simply keeping on gathering energy...

"You! YOUUUU!" Fiona exclaimed, a burning aura enflaming the Excellence-S' clawed arm.

Before the red machine could cover the distance separating her from the menace, Duminas let out what sounded like a grunting noise... and a countless number of kanji-shaped energy bullets erupted out of its innatural body, flying towards Fiona and her companions in a lethal swarm! Fiona widened her eyes in horror and tried to step back... but the attack was just too strong, and at that distance, trying to dodge it was like trying to dodge the rain!

After an heroic attempt from Fiona to get out of the way, one of the shining projectiles struck the Excellence-S in its chestplate with the strength of a tsunami, and the red robot was lifted clean off the ground and violently shaken, its armor cracking in various point, and both of its eyes shattering from the tremendous force of the blow! In her cockpit, Fiona let out an agonized scream as she was flung backwards in her seat like a puppet, and actually felt the bone in her left arm snap from the pressure. For a second, she felt nothing but the terrible fear that was gripping her, as the Excellence-S was thrown to the ground and came to a stop after a while... then, as she tried to get some air into her lungs, a blinding, brilliant pain tore through her broken arm, making her feel as though an unseen force was trying to tear it for its socket, and she couldn't hold back another scream.

"AAAAAAAAARGH!"

"Fiona! Fiona, what is it? Are you alright? Please, answer! Answer us!" she could barely hear Mitsuko's voice calling to her from the Nadesico-C's bridge, as she grabbed her injured shoulder and took a series of deep breaths to ease the pain... and soon after, more explosion were heard all around herself, accompanied by a cacophonia of fearful, pained screams! As soon as she was more coherent, Fiona reactivated her cameras using her still-healthy arm... and was transfixed in horror at what she saw!

More kanji-shaped energy shots were coming from Duminas' body... targetting the Aestivalis, the armorless Blackserena and the Alstroemeria! The Nadesico pilots were trying to dodge the shots... but it was a hopeless attempt, and soon enough, one of the attacks caught Hikaru off guard and struck her Aestivalis, tearing through her Distortion Field like paper and hitting the frail orange robot!

In a single moment of horror, accompanied by a chopped-off scream, Hikaru's Aestivalis exploded.

"Hikaru! HIKARU!" Ryoko screamed in rage and anguish... but it did her no good. Two more of Duminas' shots struck both her Aestivalis and Izumi's... and an heartbeat later, they exploded as well, sending their pilots to join their friend in the afterlife! Another explosion and another scream marked the place and the moment when Nagare was shot down as well...

"Oh, dear God... we're getting slaughtered!" Mitsuko yelled, almost in panic. The Nadesico-C and Lapis' support ship were getting pummeled with countless burning glyphs as well, and even their Distortion Field were not doing much to lessen the damage. The thing they were facing was something else entirely! "Fiona! Fiona, retreat! We're nothing to this thing!"

"I... I'm trying to..." Fiona murmured, trying and failing to ignore the pain from her broken arm and maneuver the Excellence-S to safety, passing close to the burning husks that were all that was left of the Aestivalis belonging to Ryoko, Hikaru, Izumi and Nagare. A wave of nausea passed through her, and tears threatened to fall down her cheeks, but she somehow willed both of these things back. Now was no time to stand there and despair... they had to get out of there, and fast!

However, the supernatural creature calling itself Duminas had other plans... and it showed!

"**TO PREDICT A MISTAKE IS IMPOSSIBLE.**" it stated, its enormous body giving off a series of rings of purple energy that spread outwards to the broken sky. "**THEREFORE, TO KNOW ME IS IMPOSSIBLE.**"

"Ugh... I wish this thing would stop talking in circles and come clear about it! **Chest Blaster!**" Fiona countered, firing a beam of solid energy from the Excellence-S' chest-mounted cannon. This had no more effect than the previous attacks used by the Aestivalis, as the beam dissipated harmlessly upon contact with Duminas' body. The strange being's eyes seemed to narrow ever so slightly, and the luminescent aura gathered around it, almost solidifying in the process.

"**I WILL BE TAKING THE TIME SHIFT ENGINE NOW.**" Duminas stated. One split second later, its aura expanded violently outwards, creating a gigantic sphere of destruction that quickly spread through Mars' landscape, catching everything inside of it and causing it to crumble to dust, as if the rocks were made of dust! In a desperate attempt to avoid the apocalyptic attack, Fiona pulled the cloche with her good arm... but even at its top speed, the Excellence was just too slow to avoid Duminas' attack, and it was caught in the luminous aura and lifted upwards as if it weighed nothing! Fiona screamed in pair and fear, frantically trying to get away... but the commands were simply not responding, and the consoles were going haywire!

"AAaaaaargh!" Fiona screamed. "L-Lahge... Mitsuko... h-help me..."

Sadly, on board the Nadesico-C, things were just as frantic... and Fiona's friends were trying to little avail to rein the situation back in control, even as Duminas' attack was threatening to shatter the powered-up Distortion Field! Lahge was typing furiously upon the consoles, but all of hisefforts only seemed to slightly delay the inevitable destruction...

"This... this is unreal... This can't be happening..." Mitsuko murmured in panic. "The readings... are completely off the scale! There is just... no explanation for this! Somebody do something! Anything!"

"C-captain!" Hari exclaimed, weeping in panic. "What... what can we do now? Please, Captain, only you can save us! Please, do something! Miss Fressange... there must be something we can do, right?"

But Ruri and Inez stood petrified at the hideous vista in front of them... the gigantic sphere of energy expanding to engulf the Nadesico-C, and put an end to their journey... there was nothing any of them could do, and the Nadesico-C's Distortion Field would soon give out, dooming the entire crew...

"Hari..." Ruri murmured. "I'm sorry..."

"Time Particles flow... out of control! Time Shift Engine... going critical!" Lahge exclaimed. "This... this is crazy! At this rate, we'll end up..."

Just then, a lone Aestivalis, piloted by what little remained of the boy that was once Akkito Tenkawa, stood in front of the Nadesico-C and expanded it Distortion Field, in a clearly hopeless attempt to shield Ruri and the rest of the crew... and as Ruri widened her eyes in surprise and fear, a keening sound was heard as the invisible barrier actually stopped Duminas' attack for one second, giving the silver-haired captain a fleeting illusion that somehow, someway, they were going to make it...

But that hope spot ended far too soon. After exactly one second of holding back the destructive aura, the Blackserena's Distortion Field gave out, and Akito's mech was engulfed by the unbearable blow, and reduced to little more than a formless hump of twisted metal, in front of the crew (and especially Ruri's) horrified eyes. They did not have time to be shocked, though... as Duminas' expanding aura broke through the Nadesico-C's own Distortion Field and engulfed the main bridge, burying it into a caleidoscope of feverish colours!

"Aaaaaaaah!" Mitsuko screamed, her hands still on the consoles as the Nadesico-C began exploding around her. "This... this is it... Fiona... I'm... sorry... this is where... it all ends..."

"Ugh... Who could ever... imagine this?" Lahge murmured.

And inside the cockpit of the Excellence-S, Fiona was experiencing the most terrifying moments of her life... which could very well have been her last, as far as she knew! The pain from her injuries and the dizziness from the frantic tossing and turning was overwhelming. All she was able to see were confused flashes of red and black, and her ears were overwhelmed with unintelligible sounds and incomprehensible voices... which swirled around into an endless, primal scream of pure anguish! Several faces materialized in front of Fiona's eyes, along with obscene, incomprehensible vistas that were threatening her sanity...

All sensations were converging into utter chaos, and the girl had to hold on to her controls as if her life depended on that. Time had ceased to have meaning to her... it was just a single, endless moment of pure terror, wrapped in an unholy light...

And just then, with a chilling scream of terror, Fiona felt herself plummeting into a dark void, before all of her senses were overwhelmed by a bright light...

**oooooooooo**

Axis...

"CHAR!" Amuro screamed, his Fin Funnels exchanging another volley of lasers with Char's Sazabi. "This is it! I'm going to end this here and now! Your plan has failed! It never had a chance in the first place!"

"It is all a matter of rebuilding it!" Char answered hotly, dodging a salvo from the Fin Funnels... but a stray shot hit the Sazabi in the side, damaging it and blowing off a plate of armor! "I will cut to the root of the problem... and destroy it! I'm not like you, who would let things keep on the way they are!"

The Sazabi dashed close, and caght the Nu Gundam in the chest with a swing of its heat axe... but luckily, Amuro was able to avoid getting the jagged blade in the cockpit and continue fighting! "Damn... and just look what you have done to get your way! Char, you used Quess! All she wanted was a father figure!"

"If only you hadn't killed Lalah... she would have been a mother to me!" Char fired back, blocking the Nu Gundam's beam saber, but failing to dodge a kick, which threw him off balance for a while. "Remember the pain you felt when Lalah died!"

"Stop reminding me of that, you petty bastard!" Amuro shouted. The Nu Gundam's head-mounted vulcans fired a salvo, pelting the Sazabi and keeping Char on his toes just as Amuro lunged at his archenemy once again.

"You will never understand my feelings!" the Neo Zeon leader rebuked him, dashing in for what he hoped would be the telling blow. "If only you hadn't stood in my way... AMURO!"

"CHAR!"

The Nu Gundam's beam saber and the Sazabi's heat axe struck, striking the enemy mecha's respective cockpits...

And all was swallowed by the light.

**oooooooooo**

Kira flinched, his Strike Freedom getting damaged once again by the Destiny Gundam's attacks... but he quickly recovered and grabbed the enemy, slamming it back first into a nearby asteroid, before proceeding to beat it with his Gundam's fists! Both machines were badly damaged, their cockpits almost slashed open, and while the Strike Freedom had lost quite a lot of DRAGOON pods, the Destiny was almost dry as well. It was down to the wire... and neither of them was going to go down without one last, desperate attempt!

Blinded by his anguish and thirst for revenge, Shinn grabbed the Strike Freedom as well... and with a frightening sound, the hand-mounted cannon began flaring to life, mere inches from the Strike Freedom's back!

"Wh... What?" Kira exclaimed. "Don't do it, Shinn! Have you lost your mind? You'll die along with me if you do this!"

The red-eyed ZAFT ace chuckled bitterly. "Lost my mind? It's not like I have much else to lose now... You ruined my life... you killed my parents... my sister... Stellar... and now, you want to take my ideals away from me, too..." he murmured, his words dripping with venom and revenge. "It appears... I was unable to best you... but at least... I'll avenge them all... and then... I'll join them!"

"Ugh... his grip is like... steel..." Kira murmured, vainly trying to get free from the Destiny's bearhug. The energy was building up rapidly, and it was about to be unleashed...

And a few seconds later, the Destiny's hand-mounted cannon fired, and both Mobile Suits were swallowed by the light...

**oooooooooo**

The Infinite Justice Gundam and the Legend Gundam were badly danaged as well, the battle having taken a heavy toll out of both of them... and as they raced towards each other, Athrun once again saw the glaring masked face of his former commander Rau Le Crueset, regarding him in an almost mocking way, as if saying that, even if they had won, nothing had really changed...

Both Gundams dashed towards each other and slashed, just as they, too, disappeared into a bright light that engulfed everything...

**oooooooooo**

Other world...

A lone Gekka recklessly dashed towards the towering King Darius The 18th, trying to succeed where its comrades... now lying in lifeless heaps scattered around the battlefield... had miserably failed: doing even a little bit of damage to the seemingly unstoppable juggernaut, whose advance had as of now been uncontested. Sadly, the attempt was foiled by the demonic-looking robot, who simply grabbed the frail Knightmare Frame in its clawed hand, and started squeezing, like a cruel child snuffing the life out of a mouse.

"Uuuugh..." the Gekka's pilot, a jolly-looking young man with short brown hair and a matching goatee, snorted as he tried to get free. "Do not think... you can get away with this, you monster! You're up against Zero's best buddy, Shinichiro Tamaki, and... GWAAAAAH!"

The King Darius The 18th squeezed just a little harder, and Tamaki's Gekka blew up into smithreens, taking the unfortunate Black Knight with it... and soon after, what little remained of it was dropped on the ground like so much garbage, joining its fallen comrades as the enemy began advancing once again, not even a dent on its crimson hide!

"_Shinichiro Tamaki, huh? You get points for effort, at least._" the pilot of the demonic machine giggled cruelly, now facing a quarter of crippled Knightmare Frames... Kallen's Guren Seiten, Zero's Lancelot Albion, another Gekka piloted by Japan's Prime Minister Ohgi Kaname... and a Vincent piloted by Ohgi's wife Villetta Nu, a former soldier of Britannia's Purist faction. All of them looked badly damaged, and they were clerly not going to last much long against such an overwhelming force. "_So, Black Knights... what will it be? Who dies next?_"

Kallen could scarcely believe it... her comrades, who had survived the war and were eager to go back to their everyday lives... had been wiped out like a bunch of mosquitoes by the leader of the Darius army! Todoh... Chiba... Tamaki... all of their comrades, veterans of so many battles... and that horrific thing had killed them without even paying attention to the fight! It seemed to be hopeless... but she could not afford to give up, not like that! She had to protect what Lelouch had built at the cost of his life and untold suffering...

The Vincent stood up next and fired at the King Darius... but once again, Villetta's desperate attempt proved to be useless against the terrifying enemy, who simply shrugged it off, not even a dent on its armor, and turned to the Britannian Knightmare Frame. "_Hmmm, what do we have here?_" the woman in the King Darius' ace robot giggled cruelly. "_Some grunt thinking she's an heroine of sorts? Seems like someone here needs to know her place._"

"Chigusa, let me help you!" Ohgi offered, joining his wife in his Gekka and opening fire against the King Darius. Once again, the attack didn't even faze the monstrous giant robot, and the woman just giggled cruelly as all the shots bounced off of her. Then, with calculated slowness, the King Darius pulled an arm back... and swung it forward, striking Villetta's Vincent with such force that the Britannian Knightmare Frame snapped in half with an hideous sound of ripped metal! The two halves exploded one second later, in front of Ohgi's horrified eyes... the woman he loved more than anyone else in the world had been slain in a snap, right in front of his eyes!

"Oh, no... no..." he murmured, staring in wide eyed horror at what remained of his wife's Knightmare Frame falling to the ground in flames. "Chi... Chigusa... this cannot be..."

"This is a nightmare..." Kallen muttered. "This... must be some sort of nightmare... it can't be anything else!"

Sadly, it was all too horrifyingly real, and as the opponent turned to them, flexing the King Darius' clawed finger upon which stains of oil from the destroyed Knightmare Frame still lingered, Kallen and Zero could feel their opponent's mocking grin. "_Well, well, well... is it going to last much longer? This little game bores me... spice it up, will you?_"

"DAMN YOUUUUUUU!" With a vengeful yell, tears streaming from his eyes, Ohgi threw himself and his Gekka towards the King Darius, blinded by his desire to grab it and exact bloody revenge upon the pilot for taking away his wife. The pilot of the red mecha shook her head in mock-sadness and raised the King Darius' right arm... and, with an ominous buzzing sound, a gigantic spear made of green and black energy materialized in the robot's clawed hand. The King Darius took careful aim and tossed the projectile like a javelin, causing it to fly through the air... and striking the Gekka straight in its midsection, skewering it from side to side!

Ohgi spat out a mouthful of blood, and the cockpit began overheating all around him. "Ugh... D... dammit..." he coughed in agony, desperately clutching the controls as an excruciating pain spread through him, only to fade away after a second, replaced with the creeping coldness of death. "Chi... gusa... Nao... to... I'm... com... ing..."

Ohgi's Gekka exploded, just like everyone else who had tried to attack the King Darius... and leaving only Kallen's Guren Seiten and Zero's Lancelot Albion, both damaged and on the verge of breakdown, to face the monstrous demonic robot. Kallen grabbed her ontrols tightly and grit her teeth, trying and failing to hold back the sorrow that was breaking her heart in two. Before she had even fully realized what was going on, she had pretty much lost all of the companions that had fought alongside her in the war against Britannia... they had survived one of the most devastating wars that had ever been seen upon that world... and now, they were being mowed down like so much rubbish by a single opponent, as they desperately tried to stem the advance of a mysterious, unstoppable invader that had popped up out of nowhere just a little after the Zero Requiem had been finalized.

"It can't be..." Kallen held back a sob. "Ohgi... Tamaki... Chiba... Todoh... how... how is this happening? This is..."

"_Unbelievable? I beg to differ, my dear... this just happened, and you'd better believe it! Actually, if you want my opinion, you guys were nothing to write home about. The elite forces that fought against Britannia... heh! That must be the biggest joke I've ever heard... and I've heard a lot, believe me!_" the woman said. She never lost her mocking slipsong tone... which was irritating the hell out of Kallen!

"Damn you..." she muttered, as she and Zero climbed back on their feet, ready for one last stand. "You... you won't get away with that, bitch! We will fight you... to the bitter end!"

The Lancelot Albion aimed its VARIS rifle at the King Darius and fired a solid beam of energy at the opponent... who defied all expectations of being slow and ponderous by deftly dodging the shot and dashing towards the two Knightmare Frames, just as Kallen and her Guren Seiten attacked head-on, firing all of her back-mounted missile launchers and managing to score a substantial number of hits on the King Darius... which unfortunately didn't as much as slow down and kept on its way, closing the distance in an heartbeat!

"Ugh... dammit..." Kallen swore, before finding herself on the receiving end of a powerful punch from the King Darius, which shattered the Guren Seiten's chestplate and deactivated its wings of energy, sending it to the ground once again. Then, faster than the eye could see, the demonic robot reached the Lancelot Albion and delivered a mighty blow with both hands, critically damaging the white Knightmare Frame as it plummeted to the ground, barely managing to stop itself before it hit the hard rock. Even so, though, the two Knightmare Frames were about to reach their limits... while the King Darius was still in perfect condition!

"Ugh... Suzaku... I mean, Zero..." Kallen murmured, coughing up some blood for the injuries she had sustained in the last assault. "What's... your status? Can we... still fight?"

The former Knight of Zero ruefully shook his head... and the King Darius landed a fair distance away from them in a victorious pose, as a glowing sphere of green energy began to form in its mouth, and the pilot once again giggled in triumph...

"I am afraid... there is nothing more we can do..." Zero said. "This is where... it all ends. Without our allies... we are completely outmatched..."

"Damn..." Kallen swore again. "If only Lelouch was here... maybe... we'd stand a chance..."

As Kallen reminisced about her classmate, friend and probably something more... the same person who had sacrificed himself in an elaborate gambit to give the world a small chance for peace... the pilot of the King Darius chimed in, as if she could read the red-haired girl's thoughts. "_Hmph... well, it was a good game while it lasted, but I'm afraid I let you live long enough. It's time you joined your comrades. And by the way, Kallen Kozuki... when you see Prince Lelouch in the other world, make sure to tell him what a failure he's been!_"

"WHAT?" Kallen managed to scream, despite her strength ebbing away. "What do you mean by that... bitch?"

The woman smirked again and let out a girlish giggle. "_Heheheheee... please, don't try to act as if you knew nothing!_" she said. "_His plan was the most hare-brained one I have ever heard. I mean, making yourself out to be the most evil person ever, and making the whole world hate you... so that when you die, everyone will be friends? Seriously, how does that even begin to make sense?_"

"You..." Kallen muttered... but now, shewas too weak to fight back, and could only stand there and watch as the King Darius kept charging up, the green luminescence in its mouth growing more and more...

"_With that said, Black Knights... I bid you farewell!_" the woman said. The King Darius, having finished charging, opened its mouth... and a gigantic beam of green energy erupted out of it, literally burning the terrain in its path, and advancing at breakneck speed towards the last two remaining members of the defence forces, who were powerless to stop the attack, and could do nothing but stare in terror as they were overtaken and overwhelmed...

"Lelouch... I'm sorry, my friend..." Suzaku Kururugi muttered to himself, feeling the might of the King Darius' blast already. Even the Geass that compelled him to live was barely doing any good at all... "Looks like... this is it for us... I won't be able... to keep my promise..." 

Kallen closed her eyes, bracing herself for the end. "So... this is how it all ends?" she murmured. "I wish there had been some other way... Lelouch... I'm sorry we failed you..."

And then, everything was engulfed in an all-consuming white light.

**oooooooooo**

...

...

"_Huh? What's this_?"

"_Everyone, we seem to have found someone... it's a girl, from what I can see!_"

"_Yes, that she is... and she's injured too! And what's with that strange robot near her?_"

"_Never seen such a model before... and I used to work for Preventer!_"

"_No data about it in the Earth Union's databases..._"

"_And it's not a Jovian or a Meganoid robot..._"

"_Time's of the essence here, ladies. Let's take the girl to the Nadesico with us... I'll use the Dai-Tank to drag the robot all the way there, okay? Then, we can start treating her... and when she's better, we can question her..._"

"_Okay... guess it's the sensible thing to do..._"

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Author's Note: If you're confused by that last part, well... that was pretty much the point!**

**What happened to Fiona and the Excellence? And to Lahge and Mitsuko? What about the battles that were taking place? And... what exactly is Duminas?**

**Next chapter, quite a few things will be cleared... and we'll take a look at the situation we now face! How will it go? Stay tuned for the next chapter, coming as soon as I can manage!**

**Later on!**


	19. Awakenings

**Super Robot Wars S**

**Welcome back!**

**Last chapter really threw everyone for a loop, huh? I ended up doing a bit of a Yoshiyuki Tomino and had a lot of characters die in the midst of the action... not to mention, the mysterious entity known as Duminus has made itself known, blasting Fiona and the others into next Sunday without even paying attention. And things did not go much better in the world of Code Geass, it seems... the Black Knights have been exterminated...**

**But wait! It seems like there's still some hope left...**

**And the key lies in the Excellence. You'll understand why as you read this chapter! **

**I'm keeping this introduction short, everything will become more clear as you read what happened. Therefore... well, all I can say is, enjoy this chapter and let me know how much you liked it! I will certainly try to make it as good as I possibly can, despite the fact that this is not an action chapter... and not a long one, at that!**

**Happy reading!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 19 - Awakenings**

Everything was black.

She was floating in a sea of nothingness, in darkness and silence, her mind overwhelmed by a combination of confusion, pain and fear. Fiona Grayden had trouble recalling what had happened until then... she knew something terrible had just happened, but she had no idea what exactly that was... her head hurt, and her throat felt dry, and these were the only two hints she had as to the fact that she was still among the living...

Hold on a second. If she was still alive, then what of... Lahge? And... Mitsuko? Where had they disappeared to? Were they still alive? What had happened to... the Nadesico-C... Ryoko and the others... and Akito? Had they managed to defeat the Martian Successors? Was Yurika safe? And... and Duminus? What of it... what did it want...

A whirlwind of questions and thoughts raced all of a sudden through the barely conscious girl's mind, as she began thrashing in order to free herself from the gripping darkness...

Lahge... Mitsuko... Duminus... the Excellence... the Nadesico-C...

Fiona grit her teeth... and, in a moment of absolute fear, her eyes snapped open!

A bright light immediately assaulted her senses, and she groaned in annoyance and helplessness as she tried to raise her left arm in order to shield herself from the light... only for a new searing pain to suddenly pierce her shoulder and cause her to cry out and writhe on the horizontal surface she was lying upon. Just then, she felt several other surges of pain erupt all over her battered body, and she was forced to bite her lower lip in order not to cry out again.

After taking a couple of deep breaths to ease the pain, Fiona laid down on the bed and tried to assess her surroundings... and that was when a human figure bent over her, his features obscured by her still adjusting vision and the bright light shooting into her eyes. He looked quite worried and concerned for her, and it showed when Fiona felt a damp cloth being passed on her sweaty forehead.

"Hey, take it easy..." she heard his voice say. Somehow, Fiona thought it seemed familiar... "You are injured. You need to lay down and rest until you're better."

"Huh..." Fiona managed to murmur as she assessed her condition. Her sight was somewhat better now, and she could see that she was inside of an infirmary of sort, lying on a bed, with an IV slowly dripping into her right arm and wearing a light nightgown. She could feel that her left arm was in a sling, and her stomach and both her legs were wrapped in tight bandages and hurt quite a bit as well.

So it was true, she realized. She had actually been defeated by that Duminus thing and she had been quite heavily injured because of it...

"Save your strength. You shouldn't strain yourself." the young male voice answered, as Fiona's sight cleared for good, and she was able to see who she was talking to: he was a young boy, about 18 or 19 by the looks of him, with messy dark brown hair and kind chocolate eyes, who was wearing a tight yellow uniform with round metal shoulder pads, a familiar beak-shaped emblem drawn upon one of his sleeves, and black trousers with white shoes. Yes, there was definitely something familiar about him...

"Ugh... I... hnnn... what... what the heck happened here?" Fiona murmured, embarassed at how slurred her speech was. She was presented with a glass of water by the brown-haired boy, and took a few sips from it, starting to feel better already.

"Some member of our crew found you injured nearby here, and we've brought you in for medical attention." the boy explained, while Fiona tried to focus her attention on his appearence. Sure, he had a friendly and open demeanor, and he looked somewhat naive... but she just had a feeling that she had already seen him somewhere... "Now you're in the Nadesico's sickbay..."

"WHAT? This is the Nadesico..." Fiona tried to jump up in surprise as soon as she heard this, but the searing pain from her broken arm and her other wounds kept her down as she grit her teeth. "Uuuugh... dammit, now this... wasn't that smart..."

"Hey, take it easy!" the young man told her, laying her back on her bed. "You don't want to reopen your wounds! It was lucky we found you, or else you probably wouldn't have survived long..."

Fiona breathed heavily as she tried to speak. "I... I see... phew... S-so... this is the Nadesico's sickbay? So... we won? The Martian Successors are defeated? And where are Akito, Yurika and Captain Ruri? And... Lahge and Mitsuko? Please... answer me..." she breathed, frantic and exhausted at the same time.

This only had the effect of confusing the young man. "Huh? The... Martian Successors? Lahge and Mitsuko? I... I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about... but if so you wish, I can let you speak with the captain! And as for the rest, well... my name just happens to be Akito Tenkawa, but... how do you know my name?"

This just had the effect of shocking Fiona all the more, and this time she was able to overcome her weakness and dizziness and stood up in her bed, trying to keep her injured arm well protected in her sling. "Akito... Tenkawa? I... I don't understand anymore... ugh, this is all so confusing..." she murmured, placing her good hand upon her forehead and shaking her head no. A nauseous feeling was beginning to rise from the pit of her stomach, but Fiona quickly reached for the water to the side of her bed and swallowed a big gulp. When Akito leaned towards her in order to check whether Fiona was alright, the red-haired pilot shook her head and tried to smile. "I'm... okay, more or less! Say... er... Tenkawa, right? May I... may I speak to the captain of this ship? I... have a few questions for her..."

Feeling just as confused as Fiona was, Akito nodded nonetheless and stood up, reccomending the injured redhead to say still and wait for the captain to come. "Er... okay, Fiona, I can do that... you stay here and don't strain yourself, okay? By the way, if you're hungry, I can bring you a bowl of ramen later. Just tell me, and I'll deliver!"

"Thanks, I would be grateful for that!" Fiona nodded and lay down once again, while Akito smiled slightly at her and exited the infirmary through the automated doos just in front of Fiona's bed. When she was sure she was alone, Fiona sighed once again and looked at the cold, sterile white ceiling above her, lost in her own tormented thoughts.

Just what had happened while she was unconscious? What had happened to the Excellence, and to her friends? What was the meaning behind the sudden apparition of that strange creature named Duminus, and what did it want from her? It had spoken of mistakes, and of seizing the Time Shift Engine...

...

Wait a minute.

A terrifying feeling came over Fiona, making her blood run cold, and she gripped the blankets with her free hand. That was something she hadn't considered, in the urgency of the moment, but... the more she thought about it, the more it became evident that this was the only explantion that could possibly make sense!

And when you start believing that the impossible can actually happen... the horrific possibilities are endless!

"Hold on... hold on just a damn minute!" she muttered to herself. "This cannot be... you... you don't mean to tell me... maybe the real question I should ask myself is... not where the Hell I am..."

She grit her teeth, almost hesitating to say the last part.

"... but... WHEN the Hell I am..."

**oooooooooo**

Akito sighed as another door opened in front of him, allowing access to the main bridge of the Nadesico, where several crewmembers seemed to have gathered in order to receive updates on the mysterious redhaired girl they had found, along with a damaged unknown robot, in the deserted plains of Mars. Chief among all of them was a pretty girl barely past her teens, wearing an elaborate white-and-black Captain's uniform complete with a red underside, a small black hat with white rimmings, long black stockings and white shoes, which showed very little skin at all except for her beautiful face. She had long, brilliant blue hair with matching eyes, and she seemed to be a bubbly, charismatic individual, though one might probably have pegged her as resembling a ditz...

"Hey, Akito!" the blue-haired girl greeted the young boy as he stepped into the large, state-of-the-art command bridge. "So, how's the girl we picked up? I hope you haven't done anything questionable with her, if she did awaken!"

She said the last sentence with a light laugh, but Akito groaned inwardly, having a hunch that the blue-haired girl was not completely joking. After all, he knew just how jealous she could get given the right circumstances... "Well, Yurika... the good news is, she's woken up and seems to be doing well, her physical injuries aside." Akito answered. "Anyway, she wanted to speak to you... it seems to me that she's still a little confused, and doesn't exactly know where she is. Could you leave the bridge for a while and talk to her?"

"Hmm..." the captain of the Nadesico answered, placing an index finger on her cheek. Then, she nodded and turned to one of the seats besides that of the captain, where a young girl of about eleven was seated. She had silverish hair tied in a pair of pigtails, golden eyes, pale skin and was wearing an orange uniform with white sleeves, black skirt and socks and white shoes. Other than that, she had a strangely emotionless demeanor that looked rather out of place in a girl her age. "Well, I don't see why not. Hey, Ruri, could you take my place for just a few minutes? I'll be right back!"

The pale-skinned girl with silver hair named Ruri did not even change her serious expression and nodded, while Yurika smiled at her and turned to the rest of the crew on the bridge. "Thanks, Ruri! Megumi, Minato... you stay at your seats, and monitor the situation. Please call me as soon as something comes along, okay?"

"Will do, Captain Misumaru!" the helmswoman of the Nadesico, a buxom woman with long red hair and pouty lips named Minato Haruka, answered with an happy salute. Her uniform was orange and black, with black shoulder pads and a matching miniskirt, along with long stockings and white boots, though it was plain that even that conservative clothing could not completely hide her forms...

The comm officer Megumi Reinald, a pretty teenage girl with long violet hair tied in a braid, a cute freckled face and a uniform similar to Minato's, saluted as well, though she seemed a little disappointed. "Yes, Captain! You can count on us!" she answered.

"_Though I'm annoyed that I'm missing a chance to stay with Akito for a while..._" she thought to herself. Minato noticed the slight blush on her friend's face and smiled knowingly to herself...

"By the way, Captain..." another male voice interjected as Akito and Yurika were about to leave the main bridge. The pilot and the captain turned to the source of the voice... a young boy who was about Akito's age - that is to say, 18 or 19 - but looking quite a bit more physically fit than the somewhat scrawny Aestivalis pilot. He was wearing a red long-sleeved jacket on an orange shirt which showed his well-developed muscles quite well, as well as long black trousers and red shoes, but the most peculiar thing about him was his hair: it was a greenish blue, and combed in a strange hairstyle shaped like a flame. He looked quite confident and sure of himself, though he had a rather relaxed attitude. "If it's no problem with you, could I come as well? I would like to speak a little with that mysterious girl... just in case."

"Oh, Mr. Banjou..." Yurika Misumaru answered. "Of course you can come! After all, your financial empire was a great help in making sure the Nadesico's mission to Mars could go off without a hitch!"

Haran Banjou, the head of the famous Haran financial empire and one of the richest men in the Earth Sphere, chuckled in amusement. "Hehehee... I surely wouldn't call it "without a hitch", considering the problems we've had with the Earth Union government... but still, I thank you for your trust! After all, I have my suspicions on that mysterious girl... I don't think she's a Meganoid or anything, but better safe than sorry."

"You're right..." Jun Aoi, an innocent-looking young man of about 20 years of age, with short dark hair and a uniform similar to Yurika's, only without the hat, stated as he approached the other three. "After all, there's the fact that the strange red robot we found along with her was built in a strange technology, and we have no idea where it comes from. That's reason to be prudent as well."

"I'm betting Uribatake will be all over it!" Akito chuckled, referring to the chief of the Nadesico's maintenance crew, and his well-known passion for anything mechanical in nature... especially fighting robots! "Well, then... let's go see this girl, and try to see if we can get more information out of her."

"Sure!" Yurika said. "Okay, everyone, Akito, Mr. Banjou and I will be back shortly! I entrust you with the bridge! See you soon!"

"Trust us, Captain! We'll do a good job of it!" Minato said with a wink, while Ruri simply nodded wordlessly, and Megumi sighed to herself. Jun, for his part, winced inwardly at seeing Yurika cheerfully wave to everyone and begin walking away from the bridge, at Akito's side - though Akito seemed rather embarassed about it!

"Sigh... I just can't win, can I?" the vice-captain of the Nadesico sighed sadly to himself...

**oooooooooo**

Fiona had had some time to get accustomized to her new situation, and the pain she had felt when she had just awakened had now lessened to tolerable levels, despite the fact that trying to move her casted arm still sent painful jolts through her body. Her legs felt still stiff and sore, and the wound in her stomach severely hampered her movement, but after some trial and error, the injured redhead had managed to position herself in a way that made it sting less.

However, the confusion and anguish were still there. Had she really jumped backwards in time? If that was the case, what year had she jumped to? And where were Lahge and Mitsuko? Had they survived Duminus' attack as well? And had they jumped backwards in time like she did? Or even forwards? There were too many questions, and few ways to get an answer out of the predicament she was in...

Her reverie was broken when the door to the infirmary opened with a low hiss, and Akito, accompanied by Yurika and Banjou, stepped in, introducing Fiona to his companions. "Hello, there... I apologize for making you wait, but I've brought here the captain of the Nadesico... and if you have questions, you can ask her directly!"

"Thank you very much..." Fiona murmured, sitting up in her bed, before blinking in puzzlement at the sight of Yurika. "Huh? But... excuse me, wasn't the captain of the Nadesico... a young girl named Ruri Hoshino? You... you surely don't look like her..."

That had Yurika raise her eyebrows in wonder, and she stood silent for a few moments before gathering enough of her wits to speak. "Er... actually, miss, I'm afraid there must be a mistake here." she stated. "There is, indeed, one named Ruri Hoshino here... but she's only eleven years old, and too young to be the captain. The captain of the Mobile Battleship Nadesico, produced by Nergal Heavy Industries is me, Yurika Misumaru!" She then smiled, put an hand on her hips, and flashed a victory sign with her other hand! "Bui!"

This time, it was Fiona who was struck dumb by the suddenness of the reveal, and a huge sweatdrop poured down her head as Yurika stood in her rather over-the-top introductory pose. "Hold... hold on a second..." she murmured, before trying to brighten up and smile cheerfully. "Ah... oh, yes, now I know! You're Yurika Misumaru, of course! Akito's wife!"

Yurika's pretty face took on an interesting pinkish hue, as Akito made a grimace, and Banjou chuckled to himself. "Er..." the blue-haired captain stammered briefly... before erupting in a fit of embarassed giggles! "Heheheheee... oh, no! No, I'm not his wife, not yet at least! We're still too young to get married, right, Akito?"

With that said, Yurika giddily put one arm around the embarassed Akito's shoulders and snuggled close to him, causing the younger boy to comically freak out! "Gah! Hey, hold... hold on a second, Yurika! I never sad I was going to marry you!" he exclaimed frantically.

"C'mon now, Akito dear, there's no need to be shy!" Yurika blissfully continued, holding on to him as he tried to dislodge himself!

"I... I am not being shy, you nutbar!" he vainly protested, causing Fiona to sweatdrop once again. She did remember that the crew of the Nadesico was quirky, but that went beyond all her expectations!

"Aaah... I'm afraid this is going to be one LONG briefing..." she murmured to herself, before her attention turned to the other young man accompanying Akito and Yurika. "Erm... and, who would you be? I don't remember ever seeing you..."

Banjou cleared his throat. "I can confirm that would be the case, miss..." he said gallantly. "I make it a habit never to forget the face of a woman I meet. Anyway, my name is Haran Banjou, and... well, let's say my associates and I had an important hand in financing Nergal Heavy Industries and allowing the Schiapparelli Project to come true."

"Scaparelli Project?" Fiona asked. "What's that, exactly?"

"The Nadesico is currently on a mission to rescue the Mars colonists from the attacks of both the Jovian Lizards and the Meganoids." Yurika explained, releasing her grip on Akito, who finally breathed a sigh of relief. "I know it's kind of a strange name, but our project was named after Giovanni Virginio Schiapparelli, the Italian astrologist who first studied Mars' surface."

Fiona rubbed her forehead, remembering that bit of information from the time she had been studying on the Lunar base. "Oh... I understand... and by the way, captain Misumaru, can I ask you a question? You'll probably think it a strange one, but it's something I really need to ask of you..."

"Of course you can." Akito answered with a nod. "Ask away, and we'll answer to the best of our knowledge."

"Okay..." Fiona said, uneasily sitting up on her bed and placing her sling so that it would bother her as little as possible. "Exactly... what year is this?"

Akito and Yurika were quite flabbergasted at the question, while Banjou's laid back attitude darkened a little as he frowned. That was, indeed, quite a strange question... "Er... this is Space Century 138, why do you ask?" Akito answered.

Fiona felt a cold shiver run down her spine, as she realized that her fears were confirmed... so it WAS true! The Excellence's Time Shift Engine, following Duminus' attack, had run amok, causing her and the machine to jump backwards in time! She had no idea how that had happened, but it mattered little at the moment... what was actually important was the fact that is had actually happened! She had gone backwards in time three whole years, right when the state of things in the Earth Sphere had begun to degenerate!

"I... I see..." she murmured, trying to hide her distress. "Sorry, it's just that... well, I was a little confused... maybe I still haven't fully recovered from the shock of my accident... whatever that was..."

"That's no problem." Banjou stated, though he was privately beginning to have a few suspicions about the young woman sitting in the bed in front of him. She didn't seem suspicious, and she was genuinely hurt and confused, but the blue-haired young man had a hunch that there was more to her than it appeared... "Anyway, for now you can rest here. As soon as you feel better, you can get up, and we'll introduce you to the rest of the Nadesico crew."

"Please do not hesitate to call us for whatever you might need!" Yurika said with a kind smile. "Oh, and if you would like something to eat... Akito here is the best cook the Nadesico could ask for, and he can prepare you anything you might want!"

"Well, modesty aside... I try to do my best! Cooking is what I love the most!" Akito stated with a bright smile... which caused Fiona a small pang of pain as she remembered how, in the future she had come from, Akito had had to give up his dream of becoming a cook when the Martian Successors had performed experiments on him... guess this still wasn't the case here, luckily enough!

"Er... thank you, I'll call you if I have any request..." she murmured, holding her casted arm. "For now... I guess I'll take a small rest, and then maybe have something to eat... I still feel a little uncertain on my legs..."

Yurika nodded. "Take your time to recover... oh, silly me! I haven't even asked you your name, in my haste to be of help to you!" she realized, lightly tapping her head. "Er... anyway, may I please know your name?"

Fiona smiled slightly as she answered the question. "Sure thing... captain Misumaru!" she answered. "My name is Fiona. Fiona Grayden." She thought there would be no risk in revealing her true name.

"We understand. It was a pleasure to help you out, Fiona!" Banjou answered with a nod and a gracious smile. The three stood up and bowed courteously, and Fiona waved at them with her good arm before lying back on her bed, her eyes affixed to the ceiling as she tried to think of a way out of that predicament... and to find her friends, wherever they could be...

"Damn... now this is a fine mess... I know, more or less, what happened in the three years before my time... but I'm completely at a loss with regards to the details!" she whispered to herself. "If only I could understand what's going on... Lahge, Mitsuko... where are you now, you guys? I feel completely lost without you... Dammit, in the end, I'm just a pilot... and a pretty lousy one at that!"

Such worries accompanied Fiona as she wearily closed her eyes and succumbed to sleep once again...

**oooooooooo**

A few hours later, on the Nadesico's main bridge, most key members of the crew had gathered, so that the Captain could introduce them to the newcomer. Ruri, Minato, Jun and Megumi were already at their places near the Captain's seat, with several others standing below them in wait: Akito was standing among a small group of people, all dressed in the standard form-fitting red-and-black piloting suits used by the Aestivalis pilots.

"Well, this is surely an unexpected problem..." said the one who looked like the leader of the quintet, an athletic teenage girl with short green hair and purple eyes. That was Lt. Ryoko Subaru, leader of the Nadesico's combat pilots, and a tough, aggressive fighter in her own right. "We come here to Mars looking for survivors to the latest attacks of the Jovian Lizards, and we find ourselves with a mysterious girl and an even more mysterious robot on our hands. There's something fishy about this, though I'm not sure what we can expect..."

At Ryoko's side, a tall pale-skinned girl with long emerald-green hair cascading down her back, a fringe covering one of her red eyes, giggled at this, and Ryoko quickly cast an annoyed glance her way, knowing what was about to come... "Izumi! I forbid you to make a joke on that, am I explained?" she muttered.

"Something fishy about an early birdie... hehehehee..." Izumi Maki, the resident punster and off-kilter jester of the Aestivalis pilots, giggled dementedly as she spewed one of her nonsensical puns, which caused Ryoko to groan in annoyance.

"Still, I don't see what the problem is..." Hikaru Amano, a pretty redheaded girl with huge looking glasses, spoke up. "I mean, sure that newcomer has got a strange robot that we know pretty much zilch about, but that won't make us an enemy, now will it? We've even helped her when she was injured, and she doesn't seem like the ungrateful type, from what I've heard of her."

A low chuckle was heard from the pilot standing close to her and Akito - who, coincidentally enough, was also the only male in the pilot squad other than Akito. He was pretty much the same age as Akito and the girls, but he was tall and well-built, with a somewhat darker skin tone and messy black hair combed in a huge fringe on his head, and going all the way past his face. He had a pair of bushy sideburns, and a cocky grin seemed to be etched on his young face.

"Hehehee... that's just it, comrade Amano!" he said gleefully. "Don't you know that finding a mysterious woman stranded somewhere is always the prelude to some great adventure? That's usually how an hot-blooded mecha anime starts, isn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever..." Ryoko muttered annoyedly, rubbing her forehead as if nursing a fierce headache. "I don't know which one is worse, you or Izumi's rants!"

"Now, now, everyone... let's not quarrel for now, okay?" Akito tried to appease his green-haired superior and his comrade. "We should wait for this girl, Fiona Grayden, to explain how she ended up here and tell us what she knows of the situation. After that, we will see what we can do to help her."

Ryoko shrugged. "Fair enough... okay, guys, I think she's coming."

In fact, a beeping sound was heard in the main bridge, and the automated door on the otherside of the room slid open as Captain Yurika Misumaru accompanied Fiona Greyden, now wearing civilian dresses - a pink shirt with blue jeans and trainers - that hid her bandages as best as they could, on the Nergal battleship's command center. The redhaired girl seemed to be doing much better than just a few hours earlier, though she was still walking with a limp because of the wounds on her legs, and the sling her left arm was in could not be hidden so easily. Despite being self-conscious about her condition, Fiona took a small breath and walked alongside Yurika, introducing herself to the Nadesico crew.

"I... I am very grateful for you helping me, back then..." she started, after a moment of hesitation where she felt the whole crew's eyes upon her. "As your captain may already have told you... my name is Fiona Greyden, and I'm 19 years old. The robot you found alongside me is my personal robot, the Excellence... I hope it's not in too bad a shape..."

"Heh... don't worry about that, young lady, it's in my capable hands as of now." another member of the crew answered, stepping forward with a cocky smile. Fiona turned her head in his direction, discovering the speaker to be a slim man in his late twenties, with rather long black hair and thin looking glasses, wearing a light brown coat on an azure shirt, black trousers and shoes, and still holding a wrench in one of his gloved hands. "My please, young lady! The name's Seiya Uribatake, chief mechanic of the Nadesico! If you've got anything to fix, just call on me!"

"Er... thanks, Mr. Uribatake, I'll keep that in mind!" Fiona answered, rubbing the back of her head with her good hand. As she said that, though, she was looking around to see whether she could recognize anyone from the future she had come from. She saw no one resembling Saburouta, Hari or Nagare... but she did catch a glimpse of the trio of female Aestivalis pilots, though she took a few seconds to recognize Ryoko because of the different hair colour. As she looked around, she also recognized Minato Haruka, Megumi Reinald, Jun Aoi and - though it was rather jarring to see her as a pre-teen - Ruri Hoshino. However, there were quite a few faces she didn't recognize...

"Well... Captain Misumaru and Akito have already introduced themselves to me..." Fiona said, before raising her eyes and looking at Ruri, who was still impassively sitting at her place. "And... I seem to remember some of you, for some reason... you're Ruri Hoshino, aren't you?"

The golden-eyed, silver-haired girl blinked... which would have been the equivalent of a surprised look for another person. Fiona could see that, even as a little girl, Ruri was not one to show much of her emotions. "Indeed, I am Ruri Hoshino." she stated calmly. "I am unclear as to how you came to know that, though."

"Er... I wish I knew myself..." Fiona tried to dodge the question, in order not to drew too much suspicion. "As I said, I remember some of your names, but I don't know how... you three, for example... you must be Lt. Ryoko Subaru, and her comrades Hikaru Amano and Izumi Maki, right?"

Even Izumi was taken aback by the precision with which Fiona remembered their names and, in Ryoko's case, rank... but she had no time to voice her surprise before the tall dark-skinned boy that was with them and Akito stepped forward, pointing at himself with one of his thumbs. "Well, then... in this case, who am I?" he asked, eager to see whether Fiona knew of him as well.

Sadly, he was to be disappointed when Fiona turned to him and blinked in puzzlement. "Er... good question, who are you?" she asked.

"Oh, come ON!" the tall young man exclaimed in indignation, pointing a finger to Fiona while holding a fist to his side. "You know the Captain, you know Tenkawa, little Ruri, Lt. Subaru and the girls... and you don't know ME, the great GAI DAIGOUJI?"

Hikaru was swiftly at Fiona's side, smiling and whispering in her ear. "Actually, his true name would be Jiro Yamada." she explained.

The tall boy named Gai (or Jiro) still seemed to hear her. "HEY! I told you that's just my anagraphic name!" he protested loudly. "But Gai Daigouji is the name that belongs to my soul! You too, Fiona, call me Gai!"

The Excellence pilot sweatdropped, before letting out a nervous giggle and stratch her cheek. "Er... o... okay, Mr. Daigouji, I'll try and remember that!" she answered. "As for the others... well, there are still quite a few I don't remember. Aren't there one Takasugi Saburouta or one Hari Makibi, onboard the Nadesico?"

Yurika scratched her head and looked at Akito, who could do nothing but shrug his shoulders to say that he knew nothing about this. From another side of the main bridge, two more figures approached Fiona, one of which the girl recognized at once: it was the Prospector, the accountant / advisor that had helped bring the Nadesico crew back together in the future she had left behind. His moustache looked a little more bushy now, and he himself was somewhat less slim, but other than that, there was no mistaking him! However, Fiona did not recognize the person who was with him: a tall and muscular man with short black hair and an hard expression on his face, dressed in a sharp businessman suit, with a red necktie and black shoes.

"Unfortunately, we do not know of anyone by that name in the Nadesico crew." Prospector said,clicking a few buttons on a portable computer. "Anyway, allow us to introduce ourselves... I am an inspector and an accountant for Nergal Heavy Industries, and my job on board this battleship is to take care of all expenses and be a representative for my company. As for my colleague here..." The large man right behind him bowed his head, never losing his aloof expression. "He's Mr. Goat Hoary, head of the Nadesico' security, again from Nergal Heavy Industries."

"Honored to meet you." Mr. Hoary said in a deep voice.

Yurika nodded in satisfaction, before pointing to the group that had stayed on the side up until then, which included the mysterious blue-haired young man called Haran Banjou, two girls around his same age - a blonde and a brunette - and a sharp dressed man looking like an English gentleman. "Well, that's it for what concerns the main crew of the Nadesico... also, Ms. Grayden, I'd like to introduce you to a few guests that have accompanied our battleship in her maiden journey! I am honored to introduce you to Mr. Haran Banjou, head of the Haran financial empire, and his crew!"

"Well, we already introduced ourselves to each other earlier, but that's no problem!" Banjou said jovially. "Haran Banjou, pilot of Daitarn 3! Pleased to make your acquaintance, young lady!"

"_Daitarn 3? What's that? I must know more about it..._" Fiona thought to herself as she waved to Banjou with her right arm.

The brunette young woman who was standing with Banjou stepped forward to introduce herself. Getting a better look at her, Fiona could see that she had long and curly light brown hair, her lips were tinted red from lipstick, and she was wearing a red coat on a green shirt, along with a green scarf around her neck, an elegant dark red skirt and high-heeled shoes. "Pleased to meet you as well. My name is Reika Sanjou, and I am Banjou's assistant!" she introduced herself.

Before Fiona could answer, the blonde girl stepped forward and raised a hand in the air, happily greeting Fiona! "And I am Banjou's precious number one assistant, Beautiful Tachibana! You can just call me Beauty for short!" she said giddily, surprising Fiona quite a bit, at least until Banjou chuckled and clarified something to her.

"No, she's not pulling your leg!" the young man stated. "Beautiful is her actual name!"

As Fiona sweatdropped from the surprise of yet another strange name, Reika turned to Beauty with a somewhat annoyed expression on her face! "Hold on a second, you! What do you mean, you're Banjou's number one assistant! You're just easy on the eyes, that's all!" she called her out.

Beauty refused to be insulted by that. "Hmm, and what about you? You were kicked out of the Preventers and ran crying to Banjou. Pot calling kettle black, much?"

"How rude! I left Preventer of my own!" Reika snapped, a vein comically popping up on her head.

"Okay, okay, no need to quarrel!" Banjou said, getting in-between Reika and Beauty before they could go on. Both girls huffed and turned away from each other. "You are both my precious assistants! Oh, and last but definitely not least..."

The elderly gentleman with greying hair and mustache, dressed in a blue tuxedo with a red papillon tied below his neck, and polished white-and-black shoes, took a step forward and bowed elegantly to Fiona. "My name is Garrison Tokida. I have the honor of being Master Banjou's butler. Please, do not hesitate to call me whenever I may be of assistance, Miss Fiona." he stated calmly.

Fiona bowed as well with a smile, thinking that Banjou must have been pretty rich to be able to afford a butler as well. "Well... I am pleased to meet you all, and I apologize for any disturbance I might have caused. Thank you for helping me, I'll make sure to pay you back as soon as I can!" she stated.

Akito and the rest of the crew, however, seemed not to mind. "Don't worry about that now, Fiona..." he stated, approaching the red-haired girl. "For now, just think of resting and recovering, and after we're back on Earth, we'll hear your story and see what we can do to help you."

"Thanks..." Fiona said, before asking a question that had been on her mind for quite some time now. "By the way, you don't happen to have seen traces of my friends Lahge and Mitsuko, do you? A guy with green hair and glasses, and a girl looking pretty similar to me?"

"Erm... no, can't say we have. Anyone here knows about these people?" Yurika said after thinking about it for a moment. Several members of the crew looked at each other, wordlessly asking the same question, but all that Fiona could see around her were shakings of heads and shrugs of shoulders, a sure sign that nobody knew anything about them.

"I'm afraid, we do not know where the people you speak of are." Banjou stated. "Reika, Beauty and I were the ones who found you and your unit in the Martian landscape. But we did not find evidence that anyone was with you. I'm sorry..."

"It's okay..." Fiona said with a sigh. At least, even if she hadn't received any confirmation that Lahge and Mitsuko were alive, she had not been confirmed that they were dead, either. There was still some hope... "Thank you for your help, anyway."

"It's no problem, really..." Yurika said, sincerely sorry that she couldn't help any more. "Anyway... while the Nadesico stays here, you might want to take a look around and acquaint yourself some more with the ship and her facilities... that's if, if you feel Anyone would like to volunteer showing Fiona around?"

"If Master Banjou is okay with it, I would like to undertake this endeavor myself." Garrison stated, to which Banjou nodded in assent. "Miss Fiona, if you would kindly follow me, I will show you this ship, and will be available to answer any question you might have."

"Thank you, Mr. Tokida. I really appreciate it." Fiona answered.

Garrison smiled kindly. "Just Garrison will do." he answered. "Please, if you feel you are up to it... follow me. Else, if you still require rest, I would advise going back to your room and laying down for a while."

"It's okay, Garrison... I'm not the kind of person who likes to be idle for long, anyway." Fiona concluded, as she and the elderly gentleman walked away from the bridge and towards the civilian area. Several members of the crew could not help but look at her as she walked away, dragging one of her legs from time to time.

"Huh. Strange girl." Seiya commented. "I still don't know what to make of her."

Gai nodded. "Well, that won't really make a difference, strange or not." he stated boldly. "The plot just thickened! We have a damsel in distress on board, and we are to protect her from the villains threatening her... we're right in the middle of a Super Robot show, people! Doesn't it make you feel excited? I know it makes my blood run hot!"

Izumi smiled in a rather disquieting way. "Hehehee... take care not to get overcooked!" she said with a wide smile. For once, Ryoko could not disagree with her, as Akito wondered what was up with Fiona. Like his crewmates had said, it was strange that she already knew so much about them... and while she seemed like a nice person, there were a few things in her that didn't really convince the young pilot / cook...

**oooooooooo**

About one hour later, Fiona's tour of the Nadesico was almost over... however, the redhaired pilot had asked Garrison if it was possible for her to take a look at the robots held in the hangar, partly out of curiosity and partly to see whether her Excellence was in good hands and being repaired. As she stepped somewhat uneasily into the huge hangar, she looked left and right, eager to see what kind of combat robots the earlier Nadesico had.

"Hmm, that's interesting! So... these are the famed Aestivalis created by Nergal Heavy Industries? They look pretty compact..." Fiona stated as she looked at the five models standing about 30 feet tall in front of her. They all shared pretty much the same external design, with only the colours distinguishing them from each other: Fiona recognized Ryoko's red model, Hikaru's orange one and Izumi's green one... and there were also a pink Aestivalis and a blue one, obviously belonging to Akito and Gai. However, there was one more robot that immediately drew her attention: a majestic antropomorphic robot, towering over the more vannilla Aestivalis types, with a bulky frame covered in thick plates of tempered steel, a red shield-shaped chestplate with a starlike golden emblem attached upon it, and a stoic, proud expression etched on its steel face. It had a circular red diadem on its forehead, with four golden prongs protruding from it in order for it to look like a stylized sun of sorts, and it was blue on its arms, legs and upper chest, with sharp blades protruding from its lower legs. It looked strong and powerful, and even though Fiona had never seen it in action, she could nonetheless feel the energy coming from it.

"Wow, and what about this huge robot? It's awesome!" she said in wonder. Garrison chuckled gently at the girl's amazement.

"That, Miss Grayden, is Daitarn 3, the robot piloted by Master Banjou." the elderly gentleman explained. "Both Master Banjou and I worked together to create it. It is a unique fighting machine, powered by solar energy, which it also uses for many of its weapons."

"A solar energy robot? That's something I never heard of..." Fiona answered. "But... why did you and Mr. Banjou create such a wonderful machine? What is it for?"

Garrison seemed to grow a little sad, though he never lost his polite demeanor. "I am afraid I am not at liberty to answer this, Miss Grayden." he said quietly. "It is a matter of personal significance for Master Banjou, and as his family butler, I would never say anything that might upset him."

"It's okay, Garrison. I think we can tell her that much, at least." Banjou's strong voice, etched with an hint of sadness, came from behind Garrison, and both he and Fiona turned that way just in time to see the flame-haired young man calmly walk up to them, his bright blue-green eyes affixed on Daitarn 3's face. "After all, she will be part of the Nadesico crew until the Schiaparelli Project is completed, one way or another. It would be a good idea to make sure she knows what we're up against, and what she can expect to see."

"As you wish, Master Banjou." Garrison said, as Banjou turned his eyes at Fiona and nodded with a serious expression on his face. The redhaired girl was rather surprised... back when she had seen him for the first time, Banjou had seemed like a gallant, funny and laid-back kind of guy... but now, the girl could see a spark of sadness and anger in his eyes, like a child that had been forced to grow up too quickly.

"I apologize for intruding in the conversation, Fiona Grayden." Banjou said. "I just happened to be here in order to prepare myself for the coming battles, and I couldn't help but hear what you and Garrison were saying. Daitarn 3 is, in fact, my personal solar-powered Super Robot. I created it myself, with help from any faithful Garrison... in order to destroy the Meganoids."

"Meganoids?" Fiona asked. "What are they? I already heard of the Jovian Lizards, but these Meganoids are new to me..."

Banjou nodded. "Understandable. Anyway, the Meganoids are a group of sentient robots whose objective is to conquer Earth and forcibly turn all of humanity in mechanical horrors, just like them. And they have already started to do so, by targetting the Mars colonists that have escaped the Jovian Lizards' raids." he stated, tightening his right hand into a fist at the end. Fiona quickly understood that it was a personal mission for Banjou as well... and what he later said only confirmed it!

"The Meganoids have destroyed my family... just as the Jovian Lizards have killed Akito's friends in the Martian colonies." Banjou explained. "I guess that makes me and Akito quite similar to each other... even though Akito would probably never have wanted to fight again, and he's only doing so because he's forced by the circumstances."

"I understand..." Fiona stated sadly. Even three years before the time she had come from, the world seemed not to be much better off...

If only she could do something to help Akito and Banjou... and instead, without her Excellence working, she could not even help herself...

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Author's Note: And there you have it! Hope you liked this chapter, though it wasn't as action-filled as the others. But trust me, this is going to change soon as the Jovian Lizards and the Meganoids enter the fray! And the fact that Fiona already knows about what will happen in the future... well, could it be that she will be instrumental in avoiding several tragedies?**

**Next chapter will see the beginning of a new battle, as the Aestivalis units and Daitarn 3 try to save the few survivors of the enemy raids! Don't miss it!**

**See you, and please leave a review if you can! **


	20. Survivors on Mars

**Super Robot Taisen S**

**Hello, everyone! I'm back!**

**And once again, Super Robot Taisen S brings us a new chapter, one that will hopefully be filled with exciting things! In fact, a new battle is about to start, and the crew of the Nadesico, along with the newcomer Fiona, will soon need to step up their game if they want to survive what is to come! **

**In fact, the team is now trying to save the Martian refugees from the attacks of both the Jovian Lizards and the Meganoids, who will not wait much longer before making their presence known... and soon, a new battle will begin! But before that, Fiona will get a chance to better know the strange crew she's in now, and to get a glimpse at the huge love triangle poor Akito is caught in! Not to mention, she'll have a chance at seeing what the Nadesico crew calls the greatest anime ever! Nadesico fans should know what I'm talking about! ^^ **

**So... enjoy this chapter, even if it is only a translation one! Soon, the action will start again, with the Aestivalis and Daitarn 3 trying their best to bring the crew and the refugees back to Earth, in one piece!**

**See you soon, and happy reading!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 20 - Survivors on Mars**

"Well... this is a fine mess I got myself into..."

Fiona Grayden breathed an heavy sigh as she leaned on an iron railing, nearby a window in one of the Nadesico's main corridors. Holding her casted arm with her healthy one, the red-haired girl was staring forlornly at the blasted landscape of Mars, with its blood-red skies and the seemingly endless rocky plains, only interrupted by horrifically deep chasms that looked like open wounds on the planet's surface. While she was glad that she had gotten out of that predicament with Duminuss alive, the fact that she was lost in another place and another time, with pretty much everything she had taken for granted being turned upside down certainly did little to appease her worries. Especially concerning her two friends and the fact that she was now helpless in the face of the enemy...

Sighing again, Fiona touched the cold glass with her forehead as she surveyed the landscape, murmuring to herself a quick prayer that her friends were safe and sound, wherever they might be at the moment.

"Lahge... Mitsuko... you guys are still alive, aren't you? You... you must be in this time period as well, I'm sure of it..." she whispered quietly. "If you're still alive, then don't worry. I might not be much of a pilot, but I'll do my very best to find you! It's a promise, guys... and I don't back down on my promises!"

"Yo, kiddo! What's the deal, you look like you've just been to a funeral!"

A strong, confident voice broke Fiona out of her reverie, and she turned around with a start as a strong hand placed itself on her uninjured shoulder, catching her off guard! Fiona turned her blue eyes at the newcomer... and was glad, in some way, that he was nothing else than Gai Daigouji (or, to use his despised actual name, Jiro Yamada), the Aestivalis pilot she had seen with Akito and the girls, and whom she hadn't recognized. He looked like an happy-go-lucky, hotheaded type to her, but she wasn't sure what to make of him yet...

"Now, miss, you know it's not like a real hot-blooded to just stay at a window and sulk all the time!" Gai affirmed, trying to cheer her up with a wink and a cheesy, wide-mouthed grin. "Unless, of course, there's something more goin' on... am I correct on that?"

Giving Gai her full attention, Fiona decided to come clear about what was bothering her, even without telling him the full details - sure, he looked crazy enough to believe it, but she was not going to risk revealing something so shocking right now. "Well... you can say that, Mr. Daigouji..."

Gai laughed out loud at that. "Hahahahaaa! Now, kiddo, no need to get all formal with me! We're all a team of Super Robot pilots and defenders of justice, right? So... just call me Gai, and we'll get along great!" he answered, patting the girl's right shoulder and causing a large sweatdrop to pour down her head.

"Er... okay, Gai... though I'm kinda puzzled that you're calling me kiddo, when I'm actually one year older than you..." Fiona answered. She then cleared her throat and spoke again. "As I was saying, Gai... I was thinking about my friends who were with me before the accident in which I was injured. We still have no idea where they are, and I want to believe they're still alive, somewhere out there..."

She sighed, and turned her glance back to the window and the endless ruin and crimson skies that lay beyond it. "Man, I feel like the whole world has gone crazy... I'm here on your battleship, watching you fight a war I thought had nothing to do with me... and I can't even help you out until my robot and my arm are back in one piece!" she lamented. "I'm sorry I am being this much trouble to you guys..."

Unexpectedly, the young man grinned and patted her on the shoulder again, this time with such enthusiasm that Fiona almost flinched! "Now, now, kiddo, what's with the long face? Don't you know that being depressed and moody is not the way to go for a Super Robot pilot?" he exclaimed gleefully. "Tell you what, kiddo, I'm going to show something tat will pump you up for sure! Little Hikaru and I have set up a nice Gekigager 3 marathon in the mess hall, and everyone is invited! Hahahahaaa!"

Taken a little off guard by the tall boy's enthusiasm, which sharply contrasted with her pensive mood, Fiona weakly tried to wriggle free of his grasp! "Ah... o... okay, hold on a second here! I didn't even say if I was alright with it or not!" the red-haired girl tried to protest, though privately she was thankful to Gai for trying to cheer her up. "And... what on Earth is this Gekiganger thing, anyway? I've never heard of it!"

Gai's eyes widened in shock, as if Fiona had just said that the day was dark and the night was bright! "Wha... Hey, hey, hold on a second, Fiona girl!" he exclaimed, pointing a finger at her. "You... you are NOT telling me you haven't even heard of the greatest anime ever, are you? For real? You don't know what Gekiganger 3 is?"

Fiona blinked, and meekly shook her head no, hoping it would not upset that strange young man too much... and as if on reflex, Gai smacked his hand to his forehead, as if he was nursing an headache! "Aaaaah! For crying out loud, Fiona girl! Where have you been living for all these years! All the kids our age know what Gekiganger is! It's the single greatest anime ever to have been produced in human history! It's the pinnacle of hot-blooded action and burning feelings!" Gai shouted, and Fiona was sure she could see the waves of the sea crashing behind his back, and a miniature sun rising comically behind him! "Hehehehee... you could pretty much say that Gekiganger 3 is the representative of the Nadesico's mission of peace and justice... but enough chatter, I'll show you exactly what I am talking about! You are welcome to join us in the mess hall, and you'll have the honor to witness the awesomeness that is Gekiganger 3! So, what do you say?"

"Well..." Fiona seemed to be hesitant for a short while... but in the end, she decided hat there was nothing wrong with indulging Gai for a few moments, and in any event, watching something fun might actually take her mind off her troubles for a while. "Okay, then, Gai... since you're so adamant about it, I guess there's no problem with me joining your little group! I'm curious to see how this Gekiganger thing is, anyway!"

"Excellent, kiddo!" Gai exclaimed, patting Fiona on the back and almost causing her to fall over in his enthusiasm! "You're going to enjoy yourself... and learn the true spirit of a robot pilot! Come with us!"

With that, Gai began guiding Fiona towards the Nadesico's mess hall, with the redhead following close behind, and asking herself what on Earth she had gotten herself into. There was some commition coming from the mess hall, which led Fiona to correctly deduce that a lot of crewmembers were fans of this Gekiganger 3 anime as well...

**oooooooooo**

"Woo-hoo! We have a new Gekiganger fan here, right, Fiona?" the bubbly Hikaru said, almost going in Fiona's face as the puzzled traveller from the future backed away one step. The mess hall had been turned into what was pretty much a small homemade cinema, with an old DVD player placed on top of a shelf and projecting images on the bare wall of the room... and several chairs had been placed all around it in order for the audience to be able to see everything clearly. Among the audience, Fiona could make out a rather enthusiastic Akito Tenkawa, and both of Banjou's female assistants, who had been joined by a little boy of about eight years wearing a yellow shirt and red pants and shoes, whose freckled and grinning face gave an impression of childish liveliness.

"I'm telling you, this anime is just amazing! And Jou Umitsubame is the best of the three heroes! He's just hunky... oh, but I'm not gonna spoil anything for you, girl! You'll have to see it to believe it!" Hikaru was pretty much going off into a tangent about her love for Gekiganger 3 and for someone Fiona guessed - correctly, as it would later turn out - to be one of the main characters. Such a level of devotion to a work of fiction was something quite out ofthe ordinary for her, and she privately wondered what this Gekiganger thing must have been like to engender such reactions from its target audience!

"Well... that's nice to know, Hikaru! But... please, tell me, what exactly is this Gekiganger you all speak of? I... I don't remember ever having seen such an anime before! Or any anime, for that matter..." Fiona ventured, hoping Hikaru was not the kind of person to freak out over such things... she hadn't had much contact with Hikaru, during her stay on the Nadesico-C in the future, and she had no idea what to expect from her...

"My, my, little Fiona!" the vivacious glasses-wearing girl chided happily. "Where have you been living for the past years? Gekiganger 3 is the story of three young heroes who pilot the mighty robot Gekiganger to defend the Earth from the invasion of the Kyo'ak aliens! This anime has it all: romance, action, humour... and many scenes that will make you cry your eyes out! But as I said, don't expect me to spil anything for you! You have to see it to believe it!"

"Hikaru's right..." a voice Fiona recognized immediately as belonging to Akito continued. The brown-haired young cook had approached Hikaru, Gai and Fiona from the side, and from the smiling expression on his face, it was easy to see that he was a fan of that particular anime as well. "I was a fan of this cartoon back when I was a kid on Mars, and when I got on board the Nadesico, Gai here introduced me back to it! And I even came to know that there were 13 unaired episodes, which he showed to me!"

"We just need to watch the last two episodes, and we're set!" Gai exclaimed happily. "But for now, we're showing the crew a recap of all the first 5 episodes! It's just what we need to get ourselves pumped and fight against the Jovian scum!"

Gai's words caused Fiona to frown a little - the crew of the Nadesico still hadn't come to know the truth about the Jovian Lizards, and they still thought they were fighting against an army of aliens... then again, she couldn't join come out and tell them the truth. Who knew what the consequences would be, if she did that? Therefore, she decided to simply play along and enjoy the anime along with the rest of the Nadesico crew. "If... if that is the case, I think it will be good to just relax a little and enjoy the show with you! And... well, I see that some of Banjou's crew are with you as well!"

"You can say that!" the blonde Beauty exclaimed, standing up from her place and waving happily waving to the redhead. The young boy who was sitting with her, and whom Fiona had not seen before, stood up as well and smiled to Fiona. "Oh, by the way, I don't think you met my little friend here before! His name is Topp, and he's a honorary member of Master Banjou's team along with me, Reika and Garrison!"

"Yo! Pleased to meetcha!" the happy-looking young boy exclaimed, a cheesy grin on his freckled face. "So... you're the one I've been hearing Banjou and the others talk about, huh? We're glad to have been of help to you... and you hope you will enjoy Gekiganger with us!"

"Pleased to meet you as well, Topp!" Fiona greeted back, with a wave of her good arm. "Thank you, I'm glad to have been invited along with you!"

Garrison, Banjou's wise-looking butler who had been a guide to Fiona in her tour of the Nadesico, walked close to the small group as well, fingering his mustache with what seemed to be some sort of embarassment, and as Fiona turned to him, he cleared his hroat and began spaking. "If it is not a disturbance to you, ladies and gentlemen... am I allowed to join your group and watch some episodes of this cartoon along with you?"

"Oh, Mr. Tokida... I mean, Garrison!" Fiona exclaimed, surprised to see him. "Of course you can, you are welcome to join us!"

Beauty widened her eyes a little. "Why, Garrison... I never knew you watched this cartoon!" she exclaimed. "I mean, not that there is anything wrong with that, but... you just didn't seem like the type, that's all!"

The kind butler chuckled. "Hohohoo... well, I did see some episodes, back when I was a wee lad!" he explained. "Let's just say that this is a request borne out of personal nostalgia. I asked Master Banjou if he wanted to watch a few episodes as well, but I do not know whether he has accepted or not."

"Hehehee... well, everybody, now you know!" Banjou said, walking up to the group with a slight smile. "I thought there was nothing wrong with enjoying myself a little, before the next battle starts! We're getting deep inside the battlefield of the Jovian Lizards and towards Meganoid territory... and we'd better make the most out of our time before the next battle starts!"

At least, Fiona could agree with that. Sure, the Nadesico crew was quite the weird bunch, and Banjou and his entourage appeared to be rather quirky as well, but at least they seemed to be doing their best to make her feel welcome in that new environment... and trying not to let her dwell on saddening things! At that moment, she felt a little more confident that she was going to find Lahge and Mitsuko... alive and in good health!

She was denied the chance to think about that anymore the moment the lights dimmed, and Hikaru let out a fangirlish squeal, signalling the start of the program. Taking a small breath in anticipation, Fiona sat down and placed her good hand on her lap, and the frst images began running on the screen...

**oooooooooo**

"_GEKIGAN PUNCH!_"

"_GEKIGAN CUTTER!_"

"_GEKIGAN BEAM!_"

A few moments before, the show was in full swing... and the whole audience was cheering loudly in front of the images of a giant robot fighting a bunch of improbably colourful and fantastic enemies, with badly-drawn character yelling out the names of the attacks, and giving out inspiration, if corny, speeches. If one were to listen to people like Gai and Hikaru, that anime was the best thing ever since sliced bread!

"Oooooh, now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!" Gai exclaimed, his enthusiasm so great that Fiona was afraid he would spontaneously combust in a few moments! "Don't you feel like BURNING when you watch these epic battles? This show has it all! Courage! Friendship! Love! The will to protect our beautiful planet Earth! Guys, this show is a freakin' masterpiece!"

Fiona sweatdropped at the taller boy's excessive enthusiasm, while onscreen, a big battle was taking place between the robot Gekiganger 3 and one of the monsters sent by the invaders from planet Kyo'ak. While Akito, Hikaru, Topp, Beauty and Garrison were definitely more subdued, it was easy to see that they were just as excited as Gai about that cartoon... and the strangest thing was, the more she watched it, the more Fiona felt like she understood why it was so... That Gekiganger 3 thing, in fact, was technically nothing to write home about. The graphics were pretty simplistic and reminescent of the oldest anime, and the characters were very cliche... plus, the story seemed to be quite predictable, hitting pretty much every stereotype in the book... but still, there was something about that anime that made the girl feel happy just watching it. She didn't exactly know what it was, but it was definitely there!

"Well... I have to say, it's a nice show!" Fiona agreed. "And the music is pretty catchy too! I can understand why you guys like it so much... so, thank you for having me along!"

"Oh, don't mention it! It was the least we could do to let you make friends with our crew!" Akito answered with a smile. Really, Fiona could hardly imagine that the happy, innocent young man in front of her would later turn out to be such a brutal, emotionless shell of his former self... and the thought made her feel a pang of rage towards Kusakabe and his minions. They were the ones who had ruined Akito's life, and that of Yurika and Ruri as well...

Hold on a second...

Fiona frowned inwardly as the thought occurred to her, with Akito being none the wiser to what his red-haired new friend was thinking. Since she was now in the past... could it have been possible to do something to change the events? Maybe, if she could play her cards well enough, she would be able to nip Kusakabe's plans while they were still in their budding stage... and stop the Martian Successors from being founded in the future! This, in turn, would have meant that Akito and his friends would not have to be submitted to the horrible experiments they would otherwise endure at the hands of those fanatics...

"Wow, guys! Will you look at that!" Topp exclaimed, as the screen began flashing, and the Gekiganger 3 theme music began playing in the background. "This is the episode where Ken and his friends receive their new weapon, the Gekigan Flare! Man, I always get excited when I watch this!"

Mentally chiding herself for letting her mind wander to issues that were not ripe for the solving yet, Fiona nodded at Akito. "Still, I appreciate the thought! Thanks, Akito!" she answered. "Now... let's just enjoy this show, shall we? I have a feeling this will be one heck of a battle!"

"And you're right!" Akito answered, while onscreen, Gekiganger 3 was back on its feet after enduring a punishing string of blows from the Kyo'ak robot of the day. "The Gekigan Flare is Gekiganger 3's most powerful weapon, and it needs the three pilots to be in perfect synchronization in order for it to be used!"

"Alright, then... let's see how it goes!" Fiona answered, as the audience held their breaths in anticipation of the outcome...

**oooooooooo**

A few episodes later...

"Oh, my God... I can't believe it..." a shocked Fiona said as she placed her hand in front of her mouth. She wasn't crying, but the telltale glimmer in her large blue eyes was more than enough to convey her shock and sadness at whatt had just happened in the Gekiganger 3 episode they were watching - it was the 27th episode, one of the unaired ones, in which one of the heroes, the cool-headed Joe Umitsubame, had bravely sacrificed himself to save his friends and the whole city of Tokyo from a rampaging Kyo'ak monster that had proven itself to be a lot more powerful than the previous ones. It was doubly shocking because, while it was clear that the show did not shy away from having characters die, she never thought it would happen to such an important character, and one who seemed to be very beloved by the public...

Her feelings seemed to be shared by the rest of the crew... who, in fact, was much more vocal than she was in expressing them! Hikaru had long before taken off her glasses and begun crying like a baby in mourning for her favourite hero, Akito was looking at the screen with teary eyes, and Gai was holding a fist in front of himself, facing up with a few dignified tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Now you've seen it, Fiona, right? You've seen what I'm talking about?" the taller boy asked rhetorically, confident that the answer was obvious. "This is how a real man should die... in battle, to defend his friends and all he holds dear! If I was to die in this war, if I could choose how to do it... that would certainly be the way to go for me!"

Even Banjou, who was a little more detached than the rest of the crew, was clearly quite moved at the heroic act that had just been shown onscreen... and to further tug at the audience's heartstrings, the episode was now showing the reactions of Jou's friends, the hot-headed yet kindhearted Ken Tenku, and the big-boned and fun-loving Akira Daichi, at his death. Cast before a bright sunset, the two surviving heroes were openly weeping as Ken held Jou's lifeless body in his arms, screaming his name in sorrow... and one moment later, the screen changed to show General Massaka, the despicable Kyo'ak commander who had masterminded the attack that had taken Jou's life.

"_Damn you, Gekiganger 3..._" the hideously ugly, both on the outside and the inside, warlord growled as he played with a whip he held in his clawed hand. "_You've managed to scrape through for now... but next time, I will destroy you for sure! HAHAHAHAAAA!_"

Fiona clenched her good hand into a fist at her side. Rationally speaking, she knew it was just a cartoon... but the writers had managed to pull off that moment so well, that she could not help but feel anger directed at General Massaka... in her mind, she could easily substitute Kusakabe's face over his own...

"_You will not win..._" Fiona thought to herself. "_You cannot be allowed to win. If you did... then what justice would there be in this world? Gai... I need to thank you for showing me this anime... I'm sure it helped me take a decision... I will try to make a better future than the one I lived in! I don't know how yet... but I'll do my best to make sure you, Akito, Yurika and all their friends don't have to suffer as much as you did back where I come from! Mark my words, guys... you helped me when I was at my weakest, and now it's my turn to repay the favour!_"

Just then, a comm screen opened up right above the projection screen, just when the ending credits were rolling, and Yurika's face, framed by her cobalt blue haired and her small Captain's hat, gave a smile to the members of the crew that had been reunited in the mess hall.

"_Hi, everybody! I... hope I am not intruding in an inappropriate moment!_" Yurika excused herself, seeing several faces upon which the shock and sadness of Jou's death was still very much visible. The crewmembers quickly recomposed themselves and stood at attention, while Yurika told them there was no need to be so formal with a wave of her hand. "_Oh, don't worry, guys, you know I am not a stickler for formalities! You can be at ease, if you want! Anyway... Ruri and Minato have just told me that the Nadesico's radar have picked up some strange signals, a few miles south-east of our position with regard to the Mars North Pole. I need some pilots to exit for a scouting expedition, and make a report of what they find in that direction. Any volunteers?_"

Akito widened his eyes. While he was not interested in fighting, he was very much interested in trying to discovered whether there could be any survivors from his home colony... and so, the chestnut-haired young man stood up from his chair and raised his hand. "I'm going, Yurika! This... is a matter of great importance to me, and I would like to see for myself if there are any survivors out there!"

The blue-haired captain seemed a little dismayed, though she understood Akito's reasoning. "_Ah... er... I see, Akito, but isn't it going to be dangerous, going out there on your own? I mean, there's always the chance that some Jovian Lizards or Meganoids find you and attack_..." she ventured.

"Which is why I am going to join him in this expedition." Banjou answered, taking a step forward. As several eyes turned his way, the young billionaire cleared his voice and explained his reasoning. "If we were to find survivors, the Dai-Tank would be the best way to take them all to safety, and at the same time, if we were to be attacked, it wuld be able to quickly transform into Daitarn 3 and repel the attackers."

"What? You mean... Daitarn 3 is actually able to transform in other vehicles?" an incredulous Fiona asked.

Banjou chuckled gently. "Yes, that's one of the features Garrison and I implemented first in the Daitarn 3 project." he explained. "Daitarn 3 can transform into the Dai-Tank form, to easily cross difficult terrains... and the Dai-Fighter form, which allows it to fly at a greater speed."

"Wow... I wish our Aestivalis would be able to change form like that!" Hikaru exclaimed wistfully. "Can you imagine how easy it would be, instead of being forced to change asset whenever needed?"

"Yeah... it would be quite convenient, indeed..." Fiona thought to herself, thinking back of her Excellence and the various frames it would have been able to equip, had Lahge and Mitsuko had the chance to finish their work. "Well, then... if that is the case and my Excellence has been repaired enough, I would like to ask to accompany Akito and Mr. Banjou as well."

Once again, the request surprised a lot of the people who were reunited in the mess hall. "What? Are you sure you want to do that, Fiona?" Beauty asked, referring to the redhead's left arm, which was still hanging in her sling. "Even if your robot was available, I don't think you'd be able to fight in those conditions."

"That's true, I would be useless in a fught, in these conditions." Fiona admitted. "But I can still maneuver the Excellence around and help with some menial work. I... I'm asking this as a favour, Captain Misumaru, you and your crew have saved my life and are now helping me, so I'm asking for a chance to repay you..."

Yurika blinked in surprise and put an index finger on her cheek, tilting her head sideways as if thinking about Fiona's idea... and in the end, she decided that there was no problem with it, and gave her assent. "_Hmm... alright then, Fiona... Mr. Uribatake told me that the Excellence is movable, at least, so... you have my permission to go out. However, remember that you are still not in top condition. If a battle breaks out, you are to seek shelter immediately and not step in._" she answered, which for Fiona was an acceptable enough solution.

"Of course, Captain." the redhead answered, nodding her head. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity!"

"Alright then... I guess we are ready, then!" Banjou answered, taking a good look at Akito and Fiona first, and then at the members of his staff. "Reika, Beauty, Garrison, Topp... you know what to do in my absence. Assist the crew of the Nadesico as always, and keep me, Akito and Fiona updated. I know you'll do a good job of it!"

Reika smiled and nodded. "That will be no problem at all."

"Just leave it to us, big brother Banjou!" Topp answered with a toothy grin on his freckled face, flexing a bicep as if he was some kind of culturist. "We'll make sure nothing happens with the Nadesico, and we'll keep everyone in line!"

"_Well, I can see you're all set and ready to go!_" Yurika said with a nod. "_Okay then... Akito, Mr. Banjou, Fiona, we're going to have your units prepared and ready for launching! Good luck!_"

"Thank you, Yurika!" Akito said, cracking a small smile before turning to Gai and Hikaru. "Okay guys... I guess I'll see you later!"

Gai grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. "Sure! Go ahead and see if there's someone out there! As soon as there's trouble, just call back, and the great Gai Daigouji will be there on the double!"

"I just hope we don't run into some sort of trouble..." Fiona murmured to herself.

**oooooooooo**

Akito's pink Aestivalis, equipped with the Ground-type frame, was ready on the Nadesico's catapult, along with Banjou's Daitarn 3, already transformed into the Dai-Tank, and with Fiona's patched-up Excellence-S, who had been given some proper maintenance by the ship's chief mechanic Seiya Uribatake and the rest of his crew. Now, all that was left to do was let the three robots out, and wait for reports from the advance team, and Seiya himself was giving his crew the last directives in order to facilitate the launch.

"Okay, everyone! All units are in condition green and ready for launching!" the dark-skinned chief mechanic said. "Be careful out there... and you, Tenkawa, take care not to scratch my precious Aestivalis, or you and I will have words!"

Inside his cockpit, Akito winced slightly, knowing just how much Seiya liked robots, and how much he hated seeing them damaged... "Er... okay, Mr. Uribatake, I'll return the Aestivalis safe and sound! We're not big on getting into a pointless fight, anyway!" he answered, mindful of Fiona's conditions.

Seiya grumbled something under his breath and prepared to give the order of clearance to the three pilots... and just then, his attention was drawn by rapid steps of someone running towards Akito's Aestivalis, whose cockpit was still open and on ground level. Much to his surprise, the Nadesico's chief mechanic saw Megumi Reinard, the ship's pretty teenaged comm officer with a not-so-secret crush on Akito, happily running to the pink Aestivalis and, justa few moments before the hatch could close, climbing inside the cockpit and sitting near the equally surprised Akito! The Martian cook-turned-pilot blinked as he looked at the pretty purple-haired and freckle-faced Megumi, giving him a beaming smile!

"Hi, Akito!" she greeted. "You don't mind me tagging along, do you?"

"M-Megumi?" Akito exclaimed. "Well... no, of course not, but... why is it that all of a sudden you want to come with me? It... it might be a dangerous recon mission, and you know that..."

The comm officer giggled gently. "Oh, you know that I'm not afraid as long as I'm with you, Akito! And there's Mr. Banjou along as well, so there will be no problem!" she answered. "I... was curious to see the place where you were born... and to know a little more about you! So... are we going?"

"Well..." Akito tried to answer, just as the Aestivalis' cockpit closed, and the pink humanoid robot stood up on its feet. Slowly, the catapult activated and allowed both Akito's fighting unit, the Excellence-S and the Dai-Tank to get off the ship, and on the rocky Martian landscape. In a few moments, the three scouting units began getting away, leaving the Nadesico behind.

Seiya, who had been present until the end, had been watching in shock as Akito's unit had gotten away, the ship's comm officer along with him... and a few moments later, he curled his hands into fists, and screamed his rage and frustration at the whole business!

"Rrrrgh... I can't believe it... Damn that Tenkawa... WHY DOES HE GET ALL THE CHICKS, DAMMIT!"

**oooooooooo**

"Confirmed exit of Pilot Tenkawa's Ground-type Aestivalis unit, of Dai-Tank and of Excellence-S." Ruri Hoshino said in a calm voice as she controlled several monitors from her seat on the Nadesico's main bridge. Then, she turned her amber eyes to the comm officer's place and blinked, never once changing face. "However, I am unclear on the reason why comm officer Megumi Reinald left the ship as well."

"Are you worried about her, little Ruri?" the beautiful chestnut-haired helmswoman Minato Haruka asked, casting a glance at the pre-teen silver-haired girl, who slightly moved her head in a nodding gesture.

"A little." Ruri admitted... just a second before Hikaru andIzumi popped up from behind Minato, wearing some gleefully happy expressions on both their faces!

"Something fishy is going on with those two!" Hikaru exclaimed. "Akito and Megumi have eloped together to the endless rocky plains of Mars!"

"Heheheheee... immersed in a crimson red world, from which nobody came ashore..." Izumi giggled, throwing in one of her silly rhymes before she and her friends broke into girlish giggles... which slightly confused Ruri, and caused Minato to sigh in mock-exasperation. Really, those two never knew when to quit...

"I'm not sure I understand." Ruri stated calmly. "What are you talking about?"

Hikaru and Izumi both sighed wistfully. "Hehehee... that's called love, little Ruri! You'll understand when the time comes!" the glasses-wearing girl answered with a playful wink.

Unfortunately, Ruri and Minato weren't the only ones standing at their places on the Nadesico's main bridge. In fact, Yurika was at her captain's seat as well, and there was no way she could miss the discussion between the members of her crew... concerning Megumi and the boy she had loved since childhood! Needless to say, the blue-haired captain was feeling the fire of jealousy burn strong inside of herself... and she was having an hard time getting it under control. Prospector and Goat Hory, standing beside her, couldn't know what exactly was going on within her, but it was rather clear to them that Yurika was getting somewhat listless...

After making a few fruitless attempt at ignoring her own pangs of jealousy, Yurika took a deep breath and turned to the two Nergal employees, putting on her most cheerful smile! "Er... I apologize, Mr. Prospector and Mr. Hory, but... could any of you take my seat for a moment? I... er... need to straighten something out, before the Nadesico can continue the mission!" she said, hoping that the two would fall for it...

...which they didn't.

"Captain, it is not my place to question your judgement..." Prospector said as he adjusted his glasses. "But... you shouldn't leave the captain's seat unless the situation really calls for it. Remember that the Nadesico might still be under danger of attack. Both the Jovian Lizards and the Meganoids might be around, waiting for the right moment to strike."

"But..." Yurika tried to protest... but as she crossed Hory's hard stare, she realized that they were right. As the captain, she needed to be around if there were any problems, and she couldn't just leave her place. With a resigned sigh, she turned back to her captain's seat and plopped down, a gloved hand running through her cobalt blue hair. "Ooookay... it's not fair though, how does Megumi get to be with Akito, while I am stuck here...? Bummer..."

"_At least Mr. Banjou is with them... maybe Megumi won't try approaching Akito too much when someone else is around... I hope..._"

Ruri sighed in exasperation and murmured her catch phrase.

"Idiots."

**oooooooooo**

Yurika was not the only member of the Nadesico crew who was dismayed at Megumi following Akito around. Back in her quarters, Lt. Ryoko Subaru sat on her bed hugging her knees, with an angry frown upon her face, her green hair falling in fringes upon her forehead.

"Dammit..." she muttered to herself. "Why the heck haven't I spoken up? At least this way I could have had a chance to stay with Tenkawa a little... ah, what am I saying? It's not like I care or anything!"

Deciding that sitting in her room and brood about it was not going to take her anywhere, the leader of the Aestivalis pilots stood up from her bed and walked out of the room, heading towards the gym. Maybe shooting some hoops on the basketball field would help her vent some jealousy...

**oooooooooo**

About half an hour later, on the barren, desertic landscape of the Red Planet...

Fiona, keeping her casted arm close to her body, wrinkled her nose in slight annoyance as she cast a quick glance at Megumi, who was standing close to Akito and seemed to be following him around while they, along with Banjou, were examining the site, looking for clues about the presence of survivors from the recent attacks of both the Jovian Lizards and the Meganoids. The redhead had hoped to ask Akito a few questions about the relationship between him and Yurika, and also to try and find out how much the crew of the Nadesico knew about the current situation... but with Megumi around, it really wasn't a good idea to start talking about the Nadesico's blue-haired captain. So, Fiona decided that the best thing to do, for now, was help Akito and Banjou looking around, as she kept an ear on the words Akito and Megumi were exchanging.

"Darn..." she murmured to herself. "Nothing against the girl, but why did she have to follow us around? It makes things all the more awkward..."

In the meanwhile, the Aestivalis pilot and the comm officer were trying to spend the time talking to each other... and, just like the purple-haired girl wanted, she was getting to know more about the boy she had a crush on! "So, Akito... your family was close to that of the Captain, right?" she asked, not bothering to tread carefully around the issue. "And... you came to know each other here on Mars?"

"That's correct, Megumi..." Akito answered with a wistful smile, as he remembered the time of his childhood spent on the Utopia colony. "Yurika's family had been stationed there by the military, while my parents were scientists who were investigating some mysterious artifacts who had been found near Mars' North Pole. It was then that I got my IFS controller injected." He took off his glove, showing Megumi a shimmering tattoo-like sign drawn on the back of his left hand.

"Oh, that's the sign left by the nanomachines used to pilot an Aestivalis, right?" Megumi asked, recognizing that a similar sign was visible on the hands of Gai, Ryoko, Hikaru and Izumi as well. "Without those, learning how to pilot one of those robots takes a lot more time and effort... But why did you decide to have the IFS nanomachines injected into you?"

Akito closed his eyes, recalling the incident from more than twelve years before. "Well... I was about six at the time, while Yurika was eight." he narrated. "One day, she climbed up a working vehicle and accidentally started it. I tried to climb upon it and stop it, but I was unable to do so... and in the end, my parents gave me a good tongue-lashing for it. But... what relly frustrated me was the fact that I was unable to control the machine. Which is why I decided to have the IFS nanomachines injected in myself... however, I later decided that I wanted to become a cook, so the whole deal seemed to become pointless. At least until I found myself onboard the Nadesico and became a pilot..."

"Hmm, that's interesting!" Megumi said, getting closer still. "But tell me, Akito... why did you decide to become a cook?"

Akito bent down and scooped a piece of soil, showing it to the freckle-faced girl. "You see, Megumi... ever since we humans have terraformed Mars to allow ourselves to live upon it, the nanomachines we used have managed to make the air breathable for us." he explained. "However, the soil still has a long way to go, and the vegetables grown on Mars don't taste very good on their own. A good cook, however, can make them delicious! Well... I guess I must look kind of wishy-washy to you, since I'm acting like a pilot now..."

"That's not true, Akito!" Megumi answered readily. "The reason why I like you is the fact that... well... you... you give it all you've got, in everything you do! If the Captain can't understand that, then she doesn't know what she's losing! On the other hand, I understand what you're ging through, and I... I... well..." she blushed and looked away, noticing that both Banjou and Fiona were glancing her way in puzzlement. Just her luck... she thought she could have had a quiet moment all to herself and Akito, and instead, those two had to come along and make her nervous. "Er... well, I'm not sure whether this is the right time to talk about it... Anyway, what I wanted to say is that you always do your best, both as a pilot and a cook! Had it not been for you, we wouldn't have managed to land on Mars!"

Akito felt himself blush a little for Megumi's praise, though he was a little unconfortable with the fact that the girl seemed to be oblivious to personal space. "Er... thanks, I guess... I... just did what I needed to do to survive, really... I think anyone would have done the same in my place!" he answered. "And... by the way, there's something I don't understand about the latest Jovian attacks..."

Megumi blinked in surprise. "Really? And what's that?"

"You mean, you wonder why they didn't attack the orbiting colonies that have been set up alongside Mars' orbit?" Banjou asked, a little curious himself about the whole situation. Fiona herself had never heard about those colonies, and decided to join in in order to know more about it. Who knew, maybe it would be more useful in the future...

"Colonies on Mars' orbit?" she asked. "What's this about? I never heard of that..."

The young billionaire cleared his throat. "I apologize. Let me explain what I mean... Some time ago, when the terraforming of Mars was still underway, and discrimination against Coordinators was beginning to be widespread, several people - both Naturals and Coordinators - decided to escape the conflict and, over time, a few colonies were estabilished around Mars to act as a safe haven for people who didn't want to be involved in the Naturals vs. Coordinators fight."

"I find all that pretty absurd, if you ask me." Megumi stated. "I mean, why would I want to hate someone else just for the fact that his genetic code is different from mine? I'd have to hate everybody else, at that rate..."

"Well, it's a little more complicated than that..." Banjou explained. "You see, Coordinators are genetically enhanced human beings, who can have a number of enhanced traits like faster learning, stronger bodies or a virtual immunity to disease. Coordinators are generally disliked by the Naturals because the Naturals envy them. Other than a general dislike for genetic engineering... Still, I agree that this is not a valid reason to hate them, and we should give them a chance."

Fiona nodded. "Yeah, I agree with that. And... so, what about these colonies around Mars? How have they stayed out of the Jovian Lizards' and the Meganoids' aim?" she asked.

Much to her surprise, Banjou did not seem to know the exact reason. "Sadly, I don't know how that is possible." he answered. "One theory I have heard is that the Martian colonists living in the orbit have developed some highly powerful Mobile Suits that they have used to repel the invaders. Along with a bunch of other rumors about the Australis colony..."

"Australis? I heard about it back when I was living here on Mars..." Akito recalled, frowning slightly in displeasure. "I heard that the population of that colony is genetically engineered in order to fulfill several roles in their society... if you ask me, that's a place where I would never want to live!"

"Me neither..." Fiona said, shaking her head ruefully. "I wouldn't like my life to be pre-determined for me. Heck, one couldn't even, say, become a cook, a pilot or whatever else if he or she had not been created for this exact purpouse."

"I know what you mean..." Banjou said with a nod, completely agreeing with his friends' opinion. "Anyway, I don't think we have found out much, for now. Maybe we should regroup and head back to the Nadesico..."

Just when he was saying that, the ground suddenly gave under Akito and Megumi's feet, and the two teens were seemingly sucked in the ground with an alarmed yelp, causing Fiona and Banjou to jump away in surprise while their friends fell into what looked like a subterranean tunnel amidst a rumbling sound of crushed gravel! Both Akito and Megumi ended up sprawled on the dusty floor of the underground passage, amidst a small cloud of dust and debris, while Fiona and Banjou looked down to see if they were okay!

"Owww..." Akito murmured as she stood up and helped Megumi do the same. "Man, I really didn't see that coming... whoever came up with the big idea of digging a tunnel right here, of all places? Megumi, you alright?"

The purple-haired comm officer straightened her braid and dusted her uniform. "Yeah... I'm okay, Akito! Nothing out of place, it seems..."

"Tenkawa! Reinald!" Banjou called from a few metres above them. As they glanced up, Akito and Megumi could see the Daitarn 3 pilot and the young visitor from the future glancing down at them worriedly. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

"We're okay, Banjou!" Akito answered. "But we have no idea what kind of place this is... who could ever have dug a tunnel here, and for what reason?"

Megumi thought about it for a moment. "Hold on a second, Akito... I think I got it! Maybe these tunnels have been dug by the Martian colonists in order to take them to the shelters in case something happened! That would make sense, don't you think so?" she later exclaimed... which got Fiona thinking that, if that was true, maybe they were getting close to a group of survivors!

"Hmm... I think Megumi has a point here." Fiona answered with a nod. "Could it be that, if we follow this tunnel, we'll end up finding some of the refugees from the Martian colonies?"

Banjou nodded, approving of Fiona's deduction. "I was thinking something along the same lines..." the young billionarie answered. "Fiona, can you send a message to the Nadesico and tell them about what we discovered?"

"Right away!" the redhead answered, as she was already walking fast towards her Excellence to send a call to their mothership.

Banjou nodded, before glancing down at Akito and Megumi, who were still standing near the hole on the ceiling of the tunnel, glancing up in puzzlement. "Alright, Tenkawa... Reinald... don't panic, the situation is under control. Just wait until Fiona has finished contacting the Nadesico, and we'll come down to takea look at that place!"

"It's okay, Mr. Banjou! This place isn't that bad... though it kinda gives me the creeps!" Megumi answered, casting a glance at the interior of the tunnel. It was a darkened and rather spooky place, with tubes and strange cables jutting out of the metal plating of the walls, whose structure seemed to have been weakened to the point of near collapse by the bombings performed by the invaders. It didn't look like a safe place at all... "I... really don't envy those poor people who had to use this tunnel to save themselves..."

"Me neither..." Akito said, gritting his teeth as he tried to fight back the bad memories that were coming to the surface. As one of the rare survivors of a Jovian raid on the Martian settlements, he remembered all too clearly the day when he had to run for his life in those narrow corridors, being dogged by the Battas, the bug-like robotic weapons of the Jovian Lizards... those memories still haunted him to this day...

However. he was soon forced back to reality by the sound of a few steps coming from one end of the underground corridor. Alarmed, Akito and Megumi quickly turned in the direction of the steps, just as Fiona raced back to the hole they were in... and only a few seconds after, a new, mysterious figure stepped into view: covered in a worn-out brown cloak that concealed his head as well, it was hard to make out his features (or possibly her features - there wasn't enough light to be able to say that), and while he did not appear to be armed, his appearence was quite unsettling to the two young Nadesico crewmembers...

"Hold on a second, you!" Banjou exclaimed, his hand ready to draw a weapon. "Who are you? What do you want from us?"

"Do not try to attack Akito and Megumi, or you'll have to deal with us!" Fiona exclaimed, hoping the newcomer would not notice her left arm in a sling. Seemingly unimpressed with the two strangers bearing down on him, the cloaked figure stepped closer to Akito and Megumi, taking a good look at them. Tension was high, as Fiona and Banjou still had no idea what to make of the mysterious stranger, and Akito and Megumi were uncertain whether or not he (or she) was dangerous...

"Erm..." Megumi ventured. "We... we fell here by pure chance, mister! We... were looking for people around here,and we just happened to stumble upon this place. We... didn't mean to do anything bad, honest..."

Finally, the cloaked figure raised an arm and lifted the hood from his head... and that was when the two teenagers and their friends who had remained above saw that the figure was actually a beautiful blonde woman in her early thirties, with long blonde hair tied in a bun behind the back of her head, ruby lips and a serene, yet steely countenance in her emerald green eyes. Despite the fact that the woman was rather far away and was partly hidden in darkness, Fiona gasped in surprise as she seemed to recognize Ines Fressange, the Boson Jump expert who had lead the Nadesico-C to the deciding (and disastrous) battle on the Martian soil, against the Martian Successors, back in the timeline she had come from! What was she doing there on Mars, now?

"Welcome on Mars." Ines calmly stated. "I'm still undecided whether I should greet you or shoot you. Meanwhile, please come with me."

The click of a gun was heard, and Ines raised her glance to see Banjou aiming a gun at her and affixing her with a serious glare. "Don't you even try." he said, as cold as ice. "You try to harm my friends, you're a dead woman. And who are you, anyway?"

While Akito and Megumi retreated a little, Ines remained unperturbed as she glared back at Banjou. "Hm. You've come prepared, I see. Very well, then. I guess we can all put away our weapons. There are quite a few things we need to discuss... I suppose you're part of the crew of the Nadesico, the new battleship created by Nergal Heavy Industries, am I correct?"

"What?" Fiona asked. "Ms. Fress... er... I mean, you there, how do you know about the Nadesico?"

Banjou cast a sideways glance at Fiona, wondering what was that all about. She seemed to be about to pronounce a name...

"Oh, we have our ways to know." Ines answered. "And with all the ruckus you made when getting away from the Earth Sphere, it would have been hard not to have at least heard about you. But... this is not the place to chat, we are at risk here. Care to follow me at the shelter?"

Banjou frowned, but decided there was no problem with it, and leapt down the hole in the ceiling of the tunnel, landing on his feet before helping Fiona down as well. After making sure everyone was alright, the quartet followed Ines' lead through the shoddy tunnels, hoping they were not going to fall into some sortof trouble...

**oooooooooo**

"I see. So, the Nadesico has landed on Mars, and Haran Banjou is confirmed to be among their numbers."

The one to talk, in front ofa huge comm screen, was an icily beautiful woman with a skin as pale as alabaster, which was contrasted by her long, luscious red hair and a round dark blue gem embedded in her forehead, all contributing to giving her a cold, distant countenance. She was clad in black form-fitting dress with an elegant purple mantle wrapped around her, and her menacing blue eyes were emotioinlessly glaring at the humanoid figures on the screen in front of her - a couple of humanoid robotic creatures dressed in bluish-grey uniforms with purple shoulder pads, gloves and chest plates, along with a matching helmet under which two blood-red eyes shone dangerously. Several similar creatures were standing behind those two, all looking eerily identical to each other.

"_Affirmative, Lady Koros_." one of the cyborgs answered politely. "_At the moment, they are close to the ruins of the Utopia colony, and it seems a small scouting party has been sent to investigate_."

A few low, inarticulate sounds were heard, as a shadowed figure who had been standing behind the woman called Koros for a while came forward: it was a strange-looking creature indeed - almost all of its body was wrapped in a large red mantle with a black collar, and only its head was visible: it had an oddly geometric shape and appeared to be metallic, with an angular, incredibly short nose, a small mouth perpetually etched in an emotionless frown, and two large, pupilless, glowing round eyes. Two sharp spikes the length of a human finger jutted out of the strange robot's temples, and its head was crowned by a glass dome under which a brain-like organ was visible, emitting a faint white light.

Moving its mouth just a little, the newcomer emitted a few more of those strange echoing noises before falling silent, and Koros nodded politely to it before addressing her two underlings on the screen.

"Don Zauser, our lord and master, is very pleased with the news." she answered, translating the strange being's noises. "Keep an eye out on the Nadesico's scouting party. With some luck, they will lead us to the survivors of the recent raids. If we time our attack well enough, we will be able to both destroy Haran Banjou once and for all, and capture the refugees, the crew of the Nadesico, and the ship herself. This will be a huge asset for us Meganoids and our cause."

"_Will do, Lady Koros_." the Meganoid foot soldiers answered, bowing their heads as the communication ended...

**oooooooooo**

The trip to the shelter didn't last much more than a few minutes... and as soon as they got there, Akito, Banjou, Megumi and Fiona found themselves in a rather run-down underground complex devoid of almost any kind of furniture, save for the bare necessities. Several people were standing or sitting here and there, all wearing the same drab, worn-out clothing Ines was wearing... and the quiet whispering that was going on all around made Fiona think that thosepeople were losing all hope of ever seeing the light of the day again. The four members of the Nadesico crew looked around in stunned silence, as more than a few apathetic faces glanced up at them...

"I guess I owe you some explanations." Ines stated. "All the people you see here are the survivors of the colonies on Mars' surface after the attack of the Jovian Lizards."

Akito immediately seemed to perk up at that, and stepped in the middle of the large room to call for everybody's attention, before anyone else could say anything. "Then... I have great news for you!" the young pilot / cook yelled in enthusiasm. "We have come to save you all! Thanks to the Nadesico, you will soon be able to go back to Earth! We will have you embark on our battleship and bring you all back home!"

The reaction of the refugees was not exactly what he and his friends were expecting: all the people who had even bothered listening to them just stood there for a few moments, looking at them with the same, apathetic expression they were wearing at first... and then promptly dismissed Akito's encouragement, shaking their heads and muttering something in resignation.

"I'm afraid things are not as simple as that." Ines commented with a rueful smile. "A single battleship is simply not enough to counter the enemy's power. Do you have any idea of how much firepower the Jovian Lizards and the Meganoids will soon be able to bring down upon you? I would not be surprised if some of them were on your tracks already."

"Please, listen to me now!" Megumi exclaimed, placing herself between Akito and Ines. "We have reached Mars byfighting and defeating every single enemy that stood in our way! It is obvious that you don't know how powerful the Nadesico and Daitarn 3 are!"

"Actually, I do have an idea about the Nadesico. After all, I was part of the scientific group that discovered the Distortion Field and all of its applications, so I know what I am talking about." the blonde scientist answered. "By the way, my name is Ines Fressange. Pardon my manners for not introducing myself."

"Pleased to meet you..." Akito answered uneasily, while Fiona frowned a little.

"So, Ms. Fressange, let me get this straight." the redhead stated. "Are you telling us to simply turn a blind eye to your suffering, and waltz back to Earth like nothing happened? To just cancel the rescue?"

"We are not going back to Earth, and that about it." Ines answered, never even raising her voice. "I know the Nadesico very well, having taken part in its designing and construction. Therefore, take my word for it. The Nadesico on its own cannot defeat the enemy we are facing."

"The truth is, you don't have faith in us!" Akito ventured again, refusing to admit defeat. "Up until now, we have done nothing but win every single battle against the Jovian Lizads, and even the Meganoids haven't had better luck. Why should this change all of a sudden?"

Ines sighed and smiled like a patient teacher in front of a stubborn but clever student. "You still don't understand, do you?" she asked. "Please, tell me: what do you know of the Jovian Lizards and their weapons? Do you know the reason why they have no need for pilots? And what about their aims and their motivations for attacking Mars?"

"_I know more about that than you might imagine..._" Fiona answered to herself, feeling angry at having to keep the truth for herself. As of then, nobody knew she was from the future... and if she actually tried saying that, she'd be considered crazy. "_Damn, to think that if I was sure they'd believe me, I would spill the beans right here and now..._"

"Still, if you stay on Mars, you will either be killed by the Jovian Lizards, or captured by the Meganoids!" Fiona tried to insist. "We might not know much about the opponent, but I think saving your lives is more important for now!"

"Your intentions are noble, but good intentions on their own do not a hero make." Ines answered. "Do you know why we came to Mars? It's because we wanted to get away from the many wars going on in the Earth Sphere, just like those who escaped the Naturals vs Coordinators feud by living in the colonies around Mars' orbit. Knowing this, and knowing what kind of enemies we are facing, can you really ask us to go back to Earth?"

Banjou shook his head. "If you want to be caught by the Meganoids and forced to join their numbers, now that's another story." the young billionairie stated. "The attacks on Mars were not just the Jovian Lizards' doing. The Meganoids also attacked the colonies to draw out the human population, capture them and turn them into more Meganoids. We knew that, that's why I asked the higher-ups at Nergal to allow me to join the ship on her maiden voyage. And we've already faced a few Meganoids before, so I know what I'm talking about."

Ines said nothing, but behind her expressionless demeanor, something seemed to be moving... and thinking this could be their chance to convince her, Akito and Fiona looked at each other, nodded and spoke up again.

"Please, Miss Fressange... I know that the Earth is not exactly in a nice state, as of now." the chestnut-haired pilot / cook said. "The Total Pacifism is decaying, and humans are fighting against both each other and several outside invaders, but... here, we don't know when the Jovian Lizards and the Meganoids will attack. At least on Earth, you'd have a chance!"

"I agree with Akito, Miss Fressange!" Fiona stated. "I... can't tell you everything about it, but I was in a situation where I was helpless to help anyone, and I ended up regretting it... I don't want to let anymore innocent people die, if I can help it! Please, Miss... just trust us!"

"I lived on Mars, too... close to this place are the ruins of the Utopia colony, after all..." Akito went on, feeling like he was running out of options. "But in the end... I couldn't help anyone and I was forced to flee to Earth. That's enough! I can't just stand still and not do anything!"

For a moment, Ines seemed to become a little curious, and she got little closer to Akito while looking at him thoroughly, as if trying to spy something familiar in him. In the end, she relented with a resigned sigh. "Fair enough. I'll see what I can do to convince everyone to board the Nadesico. But I'm not holding out too much hope."

Akito smiled in relief... just one second before a proximity alarm went off, its ear-piercing shriek reverberating through the run-down shelter and sending everyone running for cover, as a red light invaded the rooms. In alarm, the Nadesico quartet and Ines looked around, the blonde's expression steeling itself in a serious frown.

"What?" Megumi asked in panic, holding tight onto Akito, who was busy trying to fight off his own panic. "What's... what's going on here?"

"We have been found." Ines stated. "The Jovian Lizards are about to attack us."

**oooooooooo**

Only a few kilometers away from the undergroud shelter, a huge formation of Jovian unmanned robots was unerringly advancing towards their latest target, filling the skies with their seemingly unending numbers: countless Battas, yellow bug-like robots armed with missiles and small gatling guns, formed some sort of menacing cloud over the horizon, interrupted here and there by the presence of a few Katonbo units - torpedo-shaped battleships easily 200 feet in length or more, covered in a thick purple armor plating, with a circular orb-like red object embedded in the middle of their massive bodies. And at he head of the invading force, stood a single unit - a gigantic humanoid robot almost as tall as a Katonbo was long, with a distinct anime feel to it, a massive chest reinforced by thick plating, with a rhomboidal opening right in the middle of it, thin arms with large and unwieldy three-fingered hands, large feet and a small head crowned by a couple of horns. A Distortion Field was shimmering all around it, and it seemed to be dead-set on leading the invasion to their target...

The Jovian Lizards were closing in. A new battle was about to begin.

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Author's Note: Well, this is a fine mess, isn't it? Both the Meganoids and the Jovian Lizards are about to get to the shelter, and if they manage to do it, the refugees are all done for. The only chance is for the Nadesico to get there in time, before the irreparable happens!**

**Will our heroes manage to save the survivors and themselves as well? Stay tuned for the next chapter of Super Robot Taisen S! **


	21. Battle For The Red Planet

**SUPER ROBOT TAISEN S**

**Hello, everyone! I'm back in business!**

**Hope not too long went by ever since I last updated this story… and as you can go see in the first chapter, there are quite a few juicy news for this story, which I will certainly try to implement in the best way possible! Hehehee… yeah, blame it on me having watched two epic shows like Gurren Lagann and Demonbane one after the other… and I've played the Demonbane visual novel as well, so…**

**Anyway, the story is still in its early stages, so I guess I'd better get a move on and try to write as much as I can in order to get to progressively more epic parts! And now, in fact, we were left with Akito, Fiona, Banjou and Megumi stranded in the Martian desert, as both the Jovian Lizards and the Meganoids are converging on the place, ready and willing to throw a big wrench in our heroes' plan to rescue the Martian refugees!**

**Will Akito, Fiona, Banjou and the others weather the attack, or does their mission have to end here? Well, of course, that's for me to know and for you to discover. And with some luck… our bold heroes might even discover something else!**

**So… well, I have nothing more to say. Enjoy this chapter… and let me know what you think of it! Happy reading!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 21 – Battle for the Red Planet**

"The Jovian Lizards are coming!"

"So, this is it for us…"

"It's all the strangers' fault! They brought the Jovians to our doorstep!"

"It would have happened sooner or later, anyway…"

The shelters had been thrown in confusion and panic by the sudden alarm, as the few survivors of the recent Jovian raids either tried to find somewhere to hide, as impossible as that might have seemed, or simply remained sitting in a resigned wait of their impending doom. Standing in the midst of all the chaos, Akito was struggling to keep a cool head, his mnd going back to the terrifying attack that had left him stranded on Earth one year ago, and that had cost him his home colony and everyone he knew…

Luckily, Banjou noticed the young boy's distress and placed a hand on his shoulder in order to calm him down. "Akito, don't lose your head. Remember, we're all here. We won't let the Jovian Lizards have their way with these people." He stated calmly, before raising his voice and speakking to everyone within earshot. "Everyone, we need to keep it together! The Jovian Lizards are still some minute away from here, and we can still do something to save ourselves!"

"That's easy for you to say!" one of the refugees shouted angrily. "What do you think you can do against those damn robots? There must be a whole army of them, heading for our shelter! You'll never be able to face them all!"

"We'll never know until we try!" Fiona countered in determination. "Everyone, please listen to what Mr. Banjou has to say! We aren't completely helpless against the Jovians… I mean, the Jovian Lizards! If we keep our cool, I'm sure the Nadesico will be able to rescue you and get you to safety, on Planet Earth! We just need to hold out for a few minutes, and everything will be alright!"

"And how do you plan to do that, girl?" a woman shouted back. "They'll be upon us too quickly for us to do anything about it!"

"At least we need to try and do something! We haven't travelled all the way here from Earth, and faced whatever those Jovian bastards threw at us… only to get told that we can't do anything to save you guys!" Akito shouted desperately.

Ines nodded simply. "The Nadesico crew does have a point. They can at least buy us some time before the bulk of the Jovian forces converges on us!" she stated. "Everyone, retreat to the deepest parts of the shelter and wait for intructions. Whatever happens, try not to panic and don't get out until you have been told that it's safe to do so!"

Despite the fact that the people were still very undecided about what to do, they eventually decided to trust the blonde scientist's instructions, and began walking to the passages that brought to the underground floors, as Inez took a short sigh and nodded to Akito, Banjou and Fiona. "I guess it falls to you to buy us as much time as possible until the Nadesico gets here, right? I just hope you know what you are doing…"

"We just need to hold off the Jovian Lizards and send a message to the Nadesico as soon as we can." Fiona answered. "I might not be able to do much, with my arm and all… but if I can do something to help, I'll certainly spare no efforts!"

"Very well then…" Inez said. "I wish you the best of luck, everyone."

**oooooooooo**

In a few minutes, Akito, Megumi, Banjou and Fiona had made a run to the place where they had left their robots, and had quickly mounted in the cockpits, getting ready to face the horde of Jovian Lizards who was already beginning to show upon the horizon, like a cloud of angry locusts. Already at that distance, it was possible to see theominous shadows of the huge Katonbo automated battleship bearing down on the scorched Martian landscape.

Fiona opened her Excellence-S' main screen and gulped at the multitude of Jovian unmanned robots that were converging on their position. It was mostly Battas, the yellow bug-like robot that had been a staple of Jovian forces for so long, and Katonbo, huge cone-shaped purple battleships with a red orb-like core in their center, that were controlled by an onboard computer without the need for any crew. However, much to her worry, she also recognized the gigantic humanoid robot that seemed to be leading the charge... and now that she had seen Gekiganger 3, she couldn't help but see that this unit looked very much like the main robot of that old-school anime! Its oversized hands and feet, and the rhomboidal cannon mounted on its chest, reinforced with blue-grey plates of metal, not to mention its small horned head and its large shoulder pads were a dead giveaway to its identity - it was obviously a Tetsujin, of the same model as the one she had faced along with the crew of the Nadesico-C in the dismal future she had come from.

"_Damn, I never thought I would have had to face one of those monsters right off the bat..._" she thought to herself as she frantically scrambled to contact the Nadesico and send a distress call. This was not the moment to be thinking about that... she had to speak with Yurika and ask her to come as soon as she could... and then, she had to help Akito and Banjou fend off the assault! Akito's pink Aestivalis, with its designated pilot and Megumi in the cockpit, and Daitarn 3 were already standing in front of the Excellence-S, forming a barrier of sorts in front of the more vulnerable robot from the future, and the solar-powered robot had already unsheathed a large, gleaming triangular sword which looked more like an oversized dagger.

Akito grabbed his cloche as tight as he could, to the point where his knuckles were turning white - now was different than the relatively simple battles the Nadesico had faced up until that point: he was now back on his home planet, and fighting toprotect the few people who had managed to survive the attacks of both the Jovians and the Meganoids. It was personal for him, and he could not afford to let those people down... he was not going to run and hide anymore! He was going to save those people... or to take down as many Jovians as he could before he died himself. Banjou seemed to be aware of what was going on in his friend's head, and opened a comm channel to him in order to try and calm him down.

"Akito, control your anger." Banjou advised him. "I understand that it's a very personal matter to you, but if you allow your rage to control you, you'll end up dead before you even know it… Just stay close to Daitarn 3, and try to conserve your energy as much as possible, until the Nadesico arrives."

"Okay… don't worry, I can manage that!" Akito answered, trying to convince himself as much, if not more, than he was trying to reassure his friend. As an Aestivalis pilot, he was well aware of those machines' weak point – being close to the Nadesico allowed them to quickly recover their energy, but getting too far from it would cause them to deplete their power at a fast rate. He had to try and conserve his energy as much as possible, until help arrived.

The Jovian Lizards' unmanned army was getting closer and closer, and already a few Battas were detaching themselves from the main force and trying to attack. It was just then that Fiona managed to open a link to the Nadesico… and much to her relief, Yurika's face, framed by her long cobalt blue hair, appeared onscreen, her expression showing concern and puzzlement. "Nadesico? Nadesico, do you copy? This is Fiona Grayden, callling from the Excellence!"

"_Nadesico here. We hear you loud and clear!_" Yurika answered. "_What's the matter, Fiona? Are there are news?_"

With a sigh of relief, Fiona gave a quick report of the situation. "Phew! Am I glad to find you, captain Misumaru…" she murmured. "We have managed to find a whole shelter filled with survivors from the Jovian raids… but we have also run into the Jovian Lizards while we were there! At the moment, it's just me,Akito and Banjou facing off against a whole army of those robots! And I'm afraid I won't be able to be of much help, with my injured arm and all… we request immediate backup!"

"_What?_" Yurika exclaimed, her eyes wide in surprise and fear. "_O… Okay, we'll mobilize as soon as possible! Can you give me your coordinates?_"

"Hold on a second…" Fiona quickly punched in her location and sent it to the Nadesico. "Yes, this is the place we're at! Please, also prepare the Nadesico for taking the survivors on board! We've got a lot of people who need shelter here! Please hurry up! We won't be able to hold out for long!"

Fiona ended the communication and nodded grimly to herself, and set her good arm on the controls, ready to unleash all she could muster upon the Jovian horde. Sure, she could not move the Excellence-S very well with her injured arm, but she could still shoot the Prisma Beam no problem... and with Akito and Bajou standing in front of her and keeping the Jovian occupied, she felt confident she could take down the robotic attackers before they could get too close to her!

"Alright then... let's do this!" the redhead told herself, as Akito began shooting at an approaching Batta, blowing the bug-like robot to smithreens!

**oooooooooo**

Deep in the bowels of the earth, as the refugees were scrambling to get to the deeper parts of the shelter, explosions began to be heard all around, a telltale sign that the battle above the ground had started. Several of the survivors were overtaken by a short moment of panic, before Inez and Megumi tried to call for calm within the group.

"It's started!"

"Yeah... it's right above our heads..." another voice said, its owner looking in worry at the ceiling, from which some small peebles were falling down.

"Don't worry, everyone! I know it's scary..." Megumi answered, trying not to show fear on her freckled face. This was the closest she had ever been to a war zone, and the emotion was threatening to overwhelm her, especially since Akito was up there, fighting tooth and nail to keep her, Inez and the other refugees alive... "Akito, Fiona and Mr. Banjou will protect us all! I know them... they won't give up so easily, and they won't quit until we are all safe!"

"You are optimistic, young one..." Inez answered coolly. "Should I attribute this to the eagerness of youth? Well, in any case, it is true that those three are our only viable hope right now... I hope for all our sakes that they can do it."

"I have faith in Akito, miss Fressange!" Megumi replied, her hands gripped into small fists. "If you knew him, you'd know that he's got the courage of a lion! He's the biggest reason why we managed to get to Mars!"

**oooooooooo**

"**Daitarn Zanba**!" Banjou exclaimed as his Daitarn 3 executed a mighty slash with its shortsword, slashing through a pair of Battas who hd targetted the solar-powered robot, mistaking it for an easier target because of its size. The locust-like robots fell apart in a shower of sparks and twisted metal, and exploded a split second later... but more of them came from all directions, forcing Banjou to fall back and defend himself. Gunfire came from a bunch of Battas that was aproaching from the side, and though Daitarn 3's thick armor managed to repel the most of it, it still took some cosmetic damage.

"Ugh... it's one thing to fight against a huge Megaborg, but these slippery bugs are a whole other can of worms..." Banjou muttered to himself, trying to keep an eye on the battlefield and the other on Akito's Aestivalis. More Battas were coming, and a Katonbo had detached itself from the rest of the Jovian army, and was now heading their way - which only meant the battle was going to get harder and harder from then on!

For his part, Akito was trying his best to fend off the numerous attackers, using his Rapid Rifle and his close combat knife to cut down every Batta that gave him even the slightest opening. There was no time to think... it was a matter of surviving as much as possible, and thinning down the number of enemies before he was overwhelmed was vital to surviving. With an enraged yell, the Martian boy plunged his combat knife into a Batta's head, causing the robotic bug to die out and crumble harmlessly to the ground... but Akito did not stop here, and his pink Aestivalis quickly picked up the inert Batta and threw it against a group of its brethren, before shooting at it for all he was worth. The Rapid Rifle bullets struck the falling Batta just as it landed among the others, and it exploded spectacularly, fratriciding a few of the other unmanned weapons! Satisfied, Akito allowed himself a small smile... which lasted for all of one second, before a bunch of missiles unleashed by another Batta landed way too close to him for confort! The pink Aestivalis turned in that direction, in order to retaliate...

"Damn... how many more of them are here?" Akito asked himself, readying his combat knife while the Batta seemed about to ram into him...

"**Prisma Beam**!"

Fiona's determined voice cut through the noise of the battle, and a trio of azure laser beams pierced the Batta's weak Distortion Field and struck the enemy in a vital point, causing it to explode! As Akito turned in surprise, he saw Fiona's Excellence-S standing proudly upon a small rocky height, its claw-arm raised and pointing at all Battas coming close!

"Don't worry, Akito, I've go your back!" Fiona said with a radiant smile. "I may not bein top form, but I will do my best to help you guys out!"

After a moment of surprise, Akito smiled himself and gave Fiona a thumbs-up, before getting back to his duty of defending the shelters. Now things were beginning to turn grim, as the first Katonbo was coming closer and closer, and the laser cannons mounted on its body seemed to be about to open fire... and personally Akito doubted his Aestivalis' weapons were enough to get through the battleship's Distortion Field...

The Katonbo's cannons flared to life, firing a fusillade of green lasers from what looked like the top and the bottom of its body, and both Akito and Banjou managed to barely dodge the attack just in time, making it so the lasers struck the ground and dug a few small trenches into it! Right behind the Katonbo, more Battas were advancing, their vulcan guns flaring and their backs opening up like a beetle's wings, revealing several micro-missiles hidden beneath them… and as they got closer and closer, the three heroes were finding themselves to be more and more under pressure…

"You're not going anywhere, you damnable machines! **Daitarn Hammer!**" Banjou exclaimed, unsheathing another of Daitarn 3's many weapons – a large morning star with a spiked ball of iron for a head! With strength and determination, the solar-powered robot swung the deadly weapon, and struck a few more Battas before turning to the Katonbo… and just then, after making Daitarn 3 spin on itself for a couple times, Banjou relinquishes the hold on the Daitarn Hammer and made it sail through the air towards the huge unmanned unit, striking its front and severely damaging the front cannons! An explosion took out the very tip of the Katonbo, causing it to lose altitude and wobble dangerously in mid-air!

"Way to go, Banjou!" Fiona cheered, as she tried her best to pilot the Excellence-S one-armed. The massive clawed arm swung at the closest Batta, shattering it with a mighty blow, but just a second later, the girl was forced to retreat under the relentless attack of the other unmanned machines, which fired a bunch of missiles at her. "Ugh… you can never drop your guard for a moment here! I hope Yurika and the others can get here soon!"

"I hope so, too…" Akito said, his Aestivalis' fist striking a Batta and swatting it away, before he was forced to expand his Distortion Field to stop another Batta's laser vulcans. "Without the Gravity Blast, we don't have any chance against these things… hold on a second, what's that?"

"That? What do you mean?" Banjou asked, his Daitarn Zanba intercepting yet another Batta in midair.

Akito activated his Aestivalis' main camera, focusing on a certain unit that stood out for its sheer size among the multitude of Jovian Battas. It was even larger than the Katonbos, but unlike them, it was humanoid in appearence, and, in fact, it reminded Akito of something very familiar to him…

"That robot, Banjou! Do you see it? That gigantic robot that seems to be leading the Jovians!" Akito exclaimed, with Fiona gritting her teeth and muttering a curse to herself as the gigantic robot took a few steps forward. "Do you see it now? It looks like Gekiganger!"

"What?" the Daitarn 3 pilot managed to take advantage of a short moment in which the enemy was relenting, and took a look at the place Akito was pointing to. Immediately, he saw the strange Gekiganger-like robot advancing on them, lifting its massive arms in a threatening gesture. "Hold on a second… you're right, that robot looks eerily like Gekiganger! What on Earth is that supposed to mean?"

"I… have no clue…" Fiona answered, still unsure if it was safe to reveal anything of what she knew. "But still... we need to be careful! I'm afraid that thing is even more dangerous than the Battas and those huge battleships!"

Fiona was proven right a few moments later, when the Tetsujin stopped in the midst of the rampaging Jovian horde and its chestplate opened up, revealing a rhombus-shaped weapon that looked unmistakably like a scaled-down version of the Nadesico's Gravity Blast cannon! The telltale glimmer of the gravity particles being sucked inside the barrel of the cannon was the confirmation Akito hoped would not come…

"Hey… Hey, hold on a second!" the cook-turned-pilot exclaimed, his eyes wide in fear. "This… this is no joke! That thing has a Gravity Blast! Let's get out of here!"

The warning came just one second on time – next thing Akito, Banjou and Fiona knew, a blast of gravitational energy erupted from the Tetsujin's chest-mounted cannon and tore through the ranks of the Jovian unmanned machines that had amssed themselves in front of the three heroes, who quickly swerved to the side and avoided the brunt of the hit! As the Battas that had been hit were blown to dust, Akito's Aestivais, Daitarn 3 and the Excellence-S all took damage from the sheer force of the blast even as they managed to spare themselves a quick and uncerimonious doom… and all the three pilots were thrown around painfully in their cockpits!

"Aaaargh!" Fiona screamed, her injured arm and her still-healing wounds sending jolts of pain through her body. "D-dammit… this is stronger than I remembered…" She immediately bit her tongue, having again almost revealed herself in the heat of the moment, but Banjou still made a mental note of the fact that she had said something suspicious…

"Ugh… That Gravity Blast might be smaller than the Nadesico's but it still packs quite a punch…" Banjou comented, as Daitarn 3 straightened itself and held the Daitarn Zanba firmly into is right hand. With the other hand, the solar-powered robot grabbed what looked like a large golden fan and opened it, its blades gleaming in the man-made atmosphere of Mars. "I'm afraid this is going to be our main opponent now…"

"Dammit… how are we supposed to fight against it?" Akito stammered, his Aestivalis clmbing to its feet. It was not just a matter of the opponent being powerful… to him, there was also the fact that the enemy looked like his childhood hero, and fighting against that just didn't agree with Akito… but if he gave up just like that, he would certainly be killed, and that would be it for the survivors, for Megumi and for Inez as well! And he couldn't break his promise to them… "Ugh… we… we need to find a way to defeat that robot… but the question is, how?"

"As long as we have these Battas swarning us, it's not even going tobe a possibility!" Fiona exclaimed, swerving brutally in order to dodge the Battas' attacks, which were coming from all directions at once. The damaged Katonbo seemed to be rereating, but some of its cannons were still intact, and it seemed to be content with just hangng back and taking potshots at her and her friends… and just to make a bad situation even worse, two more Katonbos were lining themselves up for an asalt as well! The Excellence-S, Daitarn 3 and Akito's Aestivalis were fighting valliantly, but it was clear that it was just a matter of time before the Jovian horde overcame them…

A strange hissing sound was heard in the distance just as Akito was beginning to despair… and a split second later, another Gravity Blast, this one much larger than the one the Tetsujin had fired, struck the Battas and two Katonbos without warning, like a bolt of lightning out of the blue! The Jovian robots seemed to almost flinch in surprise as a huge swathe of them was engulfed in the gravity beam, blowing up like balloons only one heartbeat later, and the rest of the Jovian fleet was forced to scatter! The lone Tetsujin took a couple steps backwards, but soon steeled itself and took a fighting stance again, seemingly glaring at the menace that had appeared overhead…

"Yay! It's the Nadesico, everyone!" Fiona cheered, looking up and clenching her good hand into a fist! "We're saved! We can turn the tide of the battle!"

Akito breathed a sigh of relief as the Aestivalis units belonging to Gai, Ryoko, Hikaru and Izumi flew out of the Nadesico's hangars and attacked the remaining Jovian Lizards… and Banjou smiled coolly, his expression mirrored on Daitarn 3's metallic face.

"Well, it's normally up to me to make a last-second entrance…" the young billionairie commented cheerfully. "But I'm certainly not going to complain!"

**oooooooooo**

"Captain, we have confirmed contact with our units." Ruri stated calmly from her place on the Nadesico's main bridge. "They do not appear to have taken considerable damage, and the pilots' vital signs are strong as well."

Yurika smiled in relief and opened a communicaton to Akito's Aestivalis, being greeted by the young boy's surprised face. "Excellent job, Ruri! Hiya, Akito, how are you doing? I hope we haven't taken too much time, we came as fast as we could!" she said in her usual bubbly manner, as Akito blinked in puzzlement, but managed to smile back at his childhood friend. "Well… I sure appreciate it, Yurika! Thanks for coming in time!" he said, before his expression turned grim again. "However, we still aren't out of the woods! We are facing a huge Jovian army, and we won't be able to hold out for long! We need immediate backup!"

"Also, please try to land the Nadesico as soon as you can!" Fiona added, her comm screen blinking open beside Akito's. "We have found a whole group of survivors from the Martian colonies, and we need the Nadesico to bring them all back to Earth!"

Yurika nodded, furrowing her brow. "You got it, Akito, Fiona!" she stated. "Minato, please, find a place to land the Nadesico! Everyone, prepare ship for taking the Martian survivors onboard… Aestivalis team, get ready to intervene! The Nadesico will need you to cover her as he takes the survivors on board!

"Lay suppression fire on the Jovian troops!" Jun, as the Nadesico's vice-captain, wanted to add. "Shoot all missile launchers and cover our Aestivalis units and Daitarn 3! Get ready to recover the Excellence-S!"

"Don't worry for me, just think of taking out the Jovian robots!" Fiona answered. "Be careful, there are so many ofthem I can't even count!"

"Got it!" Yurika nodded. "Ruri, can you tell us something more about the enemy host's composition?"

"Right away." The silver-haired young girl answered, her hands deftly moving over the ship's main computer Omoikane's console as Minato began to lower the Nadesico to the ground. "We have a large number of Batta-type unmanned weapons, joined by several Katonbo-type support and assault units. Also, there is an unknown unit among the enemies. Extreme caution is suggested should we take that unit on, as we have no idea what it can do."

"An unidentified unit?" Minato asked. "This is bad… looks like the Jovians are creating new weapons faster than we imagined…"

"We'll worry about that later. For now, we need to save the Martian refugees!" Yurika concluded, keeping a cool head in the face of such danger. "Aestivalis team, launch! Support Akito, Banjou and Fiona, and protect the Nadesico until we have rescued the hostages!"

**oooooooooo**

"Let's get those guys, everyone! Don't let their numbers impress you!" Ryoko yelled from her customized red Aestivalis' cockpit. The green-haired tomboy had taken the lead of the team, and she seemed to be itching for a fight! "Girls, you kow what to do! And you, Yamada, Daigouji, or whatever the Hell you want to call yourself..."

"How many times will I have to tell you? My name is Gai Daigouji! That's the name that belongs to my soul!" the Gekiganger fanboy exclaimed with more than an hint of annoyance... but he quickly snapped out of it and concentrated on the situation they were about to face! "Whatever! We've got some Jovian scum here that need their asses kicked! Hey, Tenkawa! You sure didn't think you were going to steal the spotlight, did ya? After all, I am the hero of the piece! Heheheee..."

"Yahoo! Let's do this!" Hikaru exclaimed, as if she wasn't really aware of the fact that they facing a much greater group of enemies.

Izumi smirked to herself as she produced her Aestivalis' Rapid Rifle and began firing away at the approaching Battas, downing one of them every time she pulled the trigger. "Hehehee... I'm gonna fry me some lizards, mommy! I heard grasshoppers are quite good, this time of the season!" she chuckled, once again failing to resist the temptation to throw in some of her nonsensical puns.

Inside the cockpit of his pink Aestivalis, Akito smiled to himself as he watched Gai's blue robot extend a fist, covered in a concentrated Distortion Field, towards the Battas and charge right through a small group of them!

"**Gekigan Flare**!" Gai yelled as he smashed through the bug-like robots, destroying all of them in short order as the girls made their way through the Battas and took on a large Katonbo that was targetting the Nadesico! Invigorated by the presence of their friends, Fiona, Akito and Banjou began fighting back even more fiercely against the unmanned Jovian army, and Daitarn 3 reopened hostilities by lifting itself up in the air, and firing a pair of missiles from two compatments placed in its lower legs!

"**Daitarn Missile**!" Banjou exclaimed. The two shots sailed through the air with an high-pitched hiss, and struck the looming Katonbo, failing to penetrate its Distortion Field, but weakening it enough that Ryoko, Hikaru and Izumi were able to short it out with a few shots from their Rapid Rifles!

"Thanks for the help, pal! Now we can take this big hunk of crap down! Hikaru, Izumi! We'll have to use Buttercup Combination for this one!" Ryoko instructed her teammates, before nimbly dodging the lasers that the Katonbo was firing at her.

Hikaru fired a few shots from her Rapid Rifle at the Katonbo, denting its armor smewhat, but failing to do much damage... then, she halted the attack and flew in formation with Ryoko. "Okie-dokie!"

"Of course..." Izumi answered, flying in tandem with her friends as well. After lining themselves up for the assault, the three girls all unleashed hell on the large Jovian battleship, their Rapid Rifles firing in tandem for several seconds and peppering the enemy with countless bullets... before Hikaru and Izumi, machine guns still blazing, separated themselves from Ryoko. The green-haired leader of the Aestivalis squad ceased fire and expanded her Distortion Field before diving straight at the Katonbo, striking it with a punishing punch right in the front... and blowing a hole right through its massive body! As Ryoko's red Aestivalis exploded out of the Katonbo's other side, the large Jovian unit was wreathed in flames and crashed to the ground, exploding a split second later as more and more Battas were being taken out by Daitarn 3, the Excellence-S and Akito and Gai's Aestivalis units!

"Well done, Ryoko!" Akito exclaimed. A Batta tried to fire its laser vulcans at him, but the young man used his own Distortion Field to repel the attack - with the Nadesico on the scene, he did not have to fear running out of energy -, then slashed the insectile robot with his combat knife, destroying it. Further away, Fiona's Excellence-S, despite its mobility problems, was taking out another pair of Battas...

But the enemy side was still many scores of robots strong, and the Tetsujin, who had stepped back when the reinforcements had come, now seemed to be about to take the initiative once again. Banjou noticed this, and quickly warned the Nadesico about it...

"Nadesico, Haran Banjou here!" the yong billionarie exclaimed. "The unknown unit is rapidly approaching! We'll move in an attempt to surround it and take a measure of it!"

**oooooooooo**

"Alright! Be careful with that, everyone!" Yurika warned. "Ruri, get a visual on the unknown unit! Minato, Jun… how is the landing and rescue operation doing?"

"We're trying to do as fast as possible, but the enemy is not making our job easy at all." the beautiful helmswoman answered. Several missiles were impacting on the Nadesico's Distortion Field, throwing the large battleship off balance and preventing it from landing safely. "We need to keep our Distortion Field up if we are to land… and this might be dangerous to the underground shelters! If the Distortion Field creates a cave-in, the survivors will be buried!"

"And not just them! Megumi is among them, and we need to save her too!" Jun reminded the rest of the crew.

Yurika grit her teeth, frantically trying to think of a way to get both the Nadesico and the Martian colonists out of trouble… while Ruri finally managed to get a visual on the Tetsujin that had begun attacking, unleashing its Gravity Blast once again! On the Nadesico's screen, the crew could see a huge humanoid robot that, surprisingly enough, looked like Gekiganger 3!

"Captain, I have a visual on the unknown enemy." Ruri stated, as casually as she would do if she was talking about the weather. "We have no recording of a similar unt in the Nadesico's database, however it seems to use the very same Distortion Field technology the Nadesico uses, and a scaleddown version of the Gravity Blast cannon."

"What? Are… are you sure, Ruri?" Yurika asked in disbelief. When the eleven-year-old electronic fairy nodded without a word, the captain winced, understanding that they were now facing a much tougher enemy than the lowly Battas and Katonbos they were used to… but they still had to face and defeat it, if they wanted to save the colonists and the rest of their crew! "Okay then… everyone, try to surround the unknown unit! Nadesico, give long-range support to our units and fire all missiles at the Jovian army! Do not let them interfere with our units' fighting!"

"Right away!" Jun answered. "All cannons, target the Battas and the Katonbos! Fire at will!"

**oooooooooo**

Several blasting sounds came from the Nadesico, as the battleship unleased fire from all her standard cannons against the Jovian army, and the Aestivalis units, along with Daitarn 3 and the Excellence-S, stood their ground against the advancing Tetsujin, on guard against everything the steel giant might have attempted to do. They could see the gigantic robot looming upon them, its massive arms raised and ready to strike… and soon after, the forearms detached themselves from the rest of the limb, and flew at breakneck speed, fists closed, towards the Nadesico team! Ryoko elled a warning, and the Aestivalis units managed to dodge the attack, but the flying fists doubled back and returned to the sender, which immediately followed up by shooting missiles from its shoulders and blowing them up at a dangerously close distance from his enemies! The smaller Nadesico fighters were thrown around and scattered, but managed to get back on guard, and tried to surround the Tetsujin…

"WHAAAAAT?" Gai exclaimed in disbelief! "Hey, no fair! How are we supposed to fight against Gekiganger 3? Damn Jovians, resorting to psychological warfare to soften our resolve…"

"This ain't Gekiganger 3, you idiot!" Ryoko verbally burned him. "This is an enmy unit that just happens to look like it! So get your head out of your ass and help us fight it!"

"Still… Mr. Gai does have a point, this things really looks like Gekiganger…" Hikaru stated naively, an index on her cheek as she regarde the huge robot with a birdlike tilt of her head. "Do you think the Jovians might be fans as well?"

"Ugh… please, Hikaru! We don't need these absurd theories! Concentrate on taking that big hunk of crap down!" the green-haired squad leader exclaimed. She fired a few shots from her Rapid Rifle at the hulking Tetsujin, which the robot repelled with its shimmering Distortion Field. Ryoko, however, was not aiming to damage the enemy, only to test its defences in order to have a better idea on how to attack. "Hmm… looks like its Distortion Field is on whole other level! We need to find a way to get close, somehow!"

"But how?" Akito asked, futilely shooting at the hulking Tetsujin as well, while at the same time avoiding the powerful swipes of its arms. "This thing is at least five times taller than our Aestivalis are! It would swat us away like we were flies!"

"I'm trying to think of something!" Ryoko protested, trying to somehow figure out a strategy for attacking the much larger enemy. After three terrible seconds during which the Aestivalis units tried to stay as far away as possible from the towering opponent, Ryoko smirked and began speaking. "Okay, I think I got it, listen to me, everyone! We need to…"

"Take this, you phony! **Gekigan Flaaaaaare!**"

Ryoko's plan was roughly interrupted was Gai's voice tore through her and everyone else's speakers! Ryoko almost bit her tongue when Gai's blue Aestivalis sped past her and, once again, extended its fist towards the opponent, aiming at the much larger Tetsujin's chest area! As the green-haired pilot widened her eyes in disbelief and irritation, the massive Gekiganger-like robot almost seemed to jump up for the surprise, and barely managed to dodge sideways before being struck in the shoulder by the blue Aestivalis' Distortion Field-powered fist, which negated the Tetsujin's own Distortion Field and hit its opponent! The massive robot went stumbling backwards, barely managing to remain standing while part of its shoulder exploded and released a thick black smoke, accompanied by several electric sparkles... and Gai's Aestivalis flew back some, fists still up in a fighting pose!

"What?" Fiona exclaimed, almost not wanting to believe Gai had done something so reckless. "He... he charged right at that huge robot? What the heck is that guy thinking?"

"Gai!" Akito exclaimed, concerned for his friend. "Are... are you alright?"

"Hehehee... don't worry about me, Tenkawa! The great Gai Daigouji won't go down that easily!" the Gekiganger otaku smirked, rubbing his index finger under his nose. "And I gave that Gekiganger impostor a good scare!"

Ryoko sighed in annoyance. No sense getting angry at that guy, it wouyld not change much anyway... "Well, next time try at least hearing me out, before charging head-on like a freaking bull! I am the leader of the Aestivalis team for a reason, you know!" she ordered. "Anyway... well, it seems your reckless attack did some damage, but it's hardly enough to take this thing down! And we even have to worry about all those Battas..."

As Banjou slashed apart more Battas, Daitarn 3 briefly turned to the Aestivalis units and the Excellence-S. The solar-powered robot and the Nadesico were trying to keep the minor enemies at bay, at least for long enough that the Aestivalis could defeat the Tetsujin. "Guys, we'll take care of these insects!" Banjou exclaimed, as another barrage of missiles from the Nadesico struck down a wave of Batta and badly damaged a Katonbo. "You take care of that thing!"

"Okay! Though I'm afraid I won't be much help... Oh, well, at least I'll try! Prisma Beam!" Fiona exclaimed, before firing her main long-range weapon for yet another time. Sadly, this time it was not enough to pierce through the Tetsujin's Distortion Field, and the azure beams dissipated upon the invisible space-time shield. "Guh... that's just as I feared, my Prisma Beam doesn't have enough oomph to it..."

"Surround this thing!" Ryoko yelled, firing her Rapid Rifle in order to try and keep the unknown Jovian robot at bay. "He won't be able to follow us all if we quickly move around him! Keep the pressure up!"

"No pressure, huh, Ryoko?" Izumi said with a smirk. Her green Aestivalis dashed to the side, joined by Hikaru's orange one, while Ryoko and Gai peppered the Tetsujin's Distortion Field with attacks from the other side, and Akito tried to shoot at it from the ground. He was having it the worst of the five Aestivalis pilots - from the ground, he could see pretty well just how huge the Tetsujin was, and above all, he could see that, if only it wanted, it could crush his Aestivalis underfoot in one second flat!

"I just wanted to be a cook, dammit… but I need to do this, or all those people will die!" Akito muttered to himself. The towering Jovian robot decided it had had enough of those annoying insects buzzing all around it, and hanged back a little, its Distortion Field absorbing all hits as the Tetsujin fired a blast of yellow energy from a cannon mounted in its head! Izumi found herself on the beam's path, and instinctively powered up her Distortion Field in order to stop the blow… which she did manage to do, but the laser was still powerful enough to throw her Aestivalis unit off balance and almost send it hurtling to the rocky ground! She still managed to get into an upright position just in time and shook the dizziness out of herself…

"Izumi!" Ryoko exclaimed in worry.

"Izumi, can you hear us?" Hikaru called out to her. "Please, be okay!"

The pale-skinned, pun-spewing female pilot chuckled a little as she regained altitude. "Hehehee… don't rejoice, girls, for my time has not come yet!" she said with exaggerated melodrama… though, if one had seen her inside her cockpit, he would have seen some bitterness to her smile…

"_Sorry, guys… looks like it's not my time to rejoin you yet…_" she mused to herself, taking care not to voice her inner thoughts.

Gai fired another round at the Tetsujin, having no better luck with it than the rest of his team, who was still firing away at the massive Jovian robot… until Ryoko managed to maneuver her Aestivalis behind the Tetsujin, placing herself out of the humanoid robot's reach and in the ideal position for an attack!

"I got you, punk!" she exclaimed. With a warlike yell, the green-haired lieutenant dove straight at the massive robot, this time taking care to aim at a vital point: if she had managed to strike the Tetsujin in the space between its shoulders, she thought, it would have been easy to fatally damage the mighty robot, and there was nothing the enemy could do to prevent it! Grinning in anticipation, Ryoko powered up her Aestivalis' Distortion field and sped up, covering the rest of the distance in the blink of an eye…

And before she could make contact, the massive Tetsujin faded and disappeared into nothing right from under her eyes, only leaving behind a few black sparks that disappeared into thin air a split second later! The Aestivalis squad leader's expression immediately changed to a look of shock and disbelief, and she quickly pulled back on her cloche in order to stp her breakneck advance!

"Kuuuuuuh! Dammit, what did that thing do?" Ryoko cursed.

Fiona looked around and widened her eyes in alarm… as the Tetsujin reappeared some distance away from the team, aiming to get the Nadesico just as the Nergal battleship had found the ideal conditions for landing!

**oooooooooo**

Deep inside the shelters, Megumi, who had been watching the battle with an increasingly hopeful demeanor, jumped up in surpise and horror when she saw on the main screen just what the Tetsujin had done! "What? How… how can this be? That huge robot just disappeared when Ryoko was about to get it… and now it's attacking the Nadesico! How can it do that?"

Inez sighed, smiling a bitter smile. "This is why I was advising you against getting your hopes up too much before you ventured into this battle." She answered, keeping her tone almost completely neutral in stark contrast to the fearful looks of the people standing around. "The Jovians are armed with some of the most advanced technology I've ever seen, and now that you're fighting on their own home turf, you have lost whatever advantage in numbers or resources you might have had on Earth."

"Miss… miss Fressange, what was that… teleportation… that robot just did?" Megumi asked, almost stammering her words out. "I… I don't think I have ever seen anything like that…"

"I was just getting to it." Inez answered, closing her eyes as if trying to recall everything. "What you have just seen is called Boson Jump, and it consists, in a few word, of a nigh-instantaneous warping of space and time. I suppose you could call it a teleport of sorts. The Jovians have mastered this particular kind of transportation in order to launch their attacks upon the Martian colonies. I suppose you are familiar with the Tulips that landed on Earth ever since the war with the Jovians started, right?"

There was nothing Megumi could do but nod. Yes, she knew about Tulips… strange containers, looking like enormous flowers of steel, that had landed on Earth… and whenever they opened up, they vomited out several unmanned Jovian robots, mostly Battas and Spider Tanks. But what did that have to do with this Boson Jump thing?

"Yes, miss Fressange, of course we know about Tulips… the Nadesico even destroyed some of them at the start of its journey…" Megumi timidly stated. "They're pretty much the hangar in which the Jovian Lizards keep their unmanned machines. But what does this have to do with… "

"There is a slight misconception in this, my young friend." Inez corrected Megumi. "The Tulips do not contain the Jovian robots… they merely let them get out. Tulips are not hangars, but rather, they're Boson Jump terminals that allow for instantaneous teleportation of their troops in places where they can do the most damage."

"What?" Megumi exclaimed in disbelief. "So… hold on a second! That means that, all along, the Jovians were teleporting Battas and other robots to Earth, and we never really knew what was going on?"

"That's how it is, unfortunately." Inez answered, all too calmly for Megumi's tastes. "However, I had no idea that they had perfected their Boson Jump technology to the point where they could do without a Tulip. This is worrying news, as it means that the enemy is advancing far more rapidly than I myself could have predicted."

"Oh, no…" Megumi murmured, clenching a hand to her heart as the battle continued. "Please, Akito… everyone… be careful!"

**oooooooooo**

Everyone on board the Nadesico watched in horror and disbelief as the seemingly-slow Tetsujin once again vanished and reappeared one split second later, easily dodging the volley of missiles that the Nergal battleship was shooting at it. It was unbelievable that sucha huge machine could move with such speed and adroitness… and now, the distance between it and the Nadesico was shortening more and more with each passing second…

"Damn…" Jun muttered. "We… we can't land a hit on that monster! What can we do, captain?"

Yurika herself, despite the gravity of the situation, could not think through her fear long enough to attempt to think up a strategy against the towering Tetsujin, who was now occupying almost all of her view! All she could do was stare helplessly as the enemy came closer, teleporting in short bursts that made it impossible to keep up with! It was now only a matter of time before it tore through the Nadesico's Distortion Field and inflicted a lethal hit upon the main bridge. Faced with what looked like imminent doom, Yurika tried to at least put up as much resistance as she could…

"Everyone, get ready! Direct al power to the Distortion Field and retreat slightly!" the blue-haired captain exclaimed. "We need to hold out as long as we can! What's our units' status, Ruri?"

"Right away, Captain!" the silver-haired girl answered. "The Aestivalis units are trying to follow the unknown Jovian robots, while Daitarn 3 and the Excellence-S are trying to hold off the Jovian horde.

"We can still hold out a few minutes if our Distortion Field is up." Beauty exclaimed from a nearby cosole. "But if that thing is serious, we won't be able to escape… and it looks pretty darn serious to me!"

Yurika nodded and grit her teeth, hoping that Akito could pull through and save the Nadesico once again…

**oooooooooo**

"Damn… I won't let you have your way!" Fiona grit her teeth as she slammed her good hand upon her console. "**Chest Smasher!**"

A small laser cannon on the Excellence-S' chest opened up and fired a golden laser at a couple of approaching Battas, destroying them on impact! Then, the redhead opened up a communication to the Aestivalis squad as she tried to drive the Excellence-S to follow the attacking Tetsujin. "Girls, Akito, Gai! Please cover me! I'm trying to stop that huge robot from blowing up the Nadesico!"

"Hold on a second now!" Akito exclaimed, fending off yet another Batta. "Don't joke around, now! You can't take that thing on in your conditions! Stay back, I'll do it!"

"What?" Fiona exclaimed. "Akito, don't be ridiculous! You can't seriously think you can reach that huge machine up in the sky and battle it! Need I remind you that you're piloting a ground-bound module? And even if you could do that… need I remind you that our opponent can teleport and use a Distortion Field that's much stronger than that of your average Jovian grunt?"

"And what am I supposed to do, then?" Akito yelled over the comm device. "Am I supposed to just hang back and let that damn thing destroy the Nadesico?"

Fiona grit her teeth and looked at the floor of her cockpit… but just then, right after the Daitarn Zanba had cut the wings off of a Katonbo, sending it to crash to the ground and burn, Daitarn 3 approached the pink Aestivalis and the Excellence-S, and Banjou's young, determined face blinked into existence in front of both pilots.

"Everyone, keep your hair on!" Banjou warned them. "You're both right… Akito cannot take on that Jovian robot by himself… but at the same time we need to save the Nadesico! And for that… we need to keep the other Jovians away from Akito's Aestivalis!"  
"M-mr. Banjou?" Fiona asked, unsure of what the Daitarn 3 pilot wanted to say. As an answer, the massive solar-powered robot held its hand out to Akito's land-bound Aestivalis, as if offering to shake on it. Daitarn's hand alone was almost as big as the Aestivalis itself… and that was when it dawned upon both Fiona and Akito!

"It's reckless, I know… but we don't have much of a choice!" Banjou stated. "Akito, just try to stand on Daitarn's hand! I'll make sure you reach that Jovian robot… but after this, it's up to you to make sure it doesn't cause any more damage!"

"What? Are you saying…that you're gonna throw Akito's Aestivalis all the way up there?" Fiona said, taking a frightened look at the height at which the Tetsujin was flying. It was a truly insane gamble… "If… if this fails, we're pretty much done for!"

"I know… but it's pretty much the only way we can attack that Tetsujin as of now." Banjou answered. "My Daitarn-3 could match it in close combat, but its teletransportation wold certainly make things dicey for me. The only way we can reliably take it down… is to catch it off guard and strike true before it can teleport! So, Akito… what will it be?"

Akito grabbed his commands so hard his knuckles turned white, but mentally steeled himself and raised his gaze, before answering with a nod. "You don't even have to ask me that, Banjou. I'll do it! I must save the Nadesico!"

"Alright then…" Banjou nodded with a small smile. "On board the Nadesico are also my faithful Garrison and my assistants, Reika and Beauty… therefore, I entrust you with their safety, Akito Tenkawa! I know you will not let me down!" Then, the young billionaire turned to the rest ofthe Aestivalis team and to Fiona, who was staring dumbfoud at the whole debacle. "Everyone, please cover us! We'll try to strike down the enemy leader before it can reach the Nadesico! Try to keep the Jovians off our backs!"

"Will do!" Ryoko answered. "Girls, we have to redouble our efforts! We'll trust Tenkawa and Mr. Banjou with this one!"

"Alright…" Hikaru affirmed as she sot down what was probably her thirtieth Batta that day. Weariness was setting in, and the redheaded four-eyes' movements were getting sluggish and awkward, but she still perservered.

Fiona opened her mouth to object… but quickly understood that there would be no point to it and accepted the whole situation with a sigh. "Alright, then… guess I'll trust you with this one after all. Okay… but I hope for all our sakes that this goes without a hitch!"

"We'll make sure it succeeds!" Banjou stated, as Akito's pink unit secured itself to Daitarn-3's massive hand. "Alright, Akito… tell me when you're ready! Remember, you have to jump good… so put your boosters to the limit!"

Akito nodded once… and Daitarn-3 swung its arm back and threw the Aestivalis at the Tetsujin with all of its might, like a pitcher trying to score an home run! The pink Aestivalis sailed through the air as Akito, with an enraged yell, gave power to his robot's back thrusters. The Tetsujin was approaching at frightening speed, and yet it seemed to be none the wiser about the small enemy closing in – it was too preoccupied with bombarding the Nadesico's Distortion Field with all the Gekiganger-like weapons it had onboard. The mighty battleship was resisting quite well, and had managed to keep its altitude… but it was obvious that it couldn't do much more against a dedicated assault! He had to reach it before it was too late…

And just then, another unit came from behind and grabbed his Aestivalis' shoulders, helping Akito in his mad dash towards the enemy! Akito felt his cockpit shake a little and held back a small cry of surprise before taking a look at his comm screen… and seeing, much to his relief, Gai's face smiling cockily and waving a finger at him, as if scolding him in a fatherly way!

"Tch, tch, tch… you were looking to hog all the glory to yourself, Tenkawa?" the Gekiganger otaku chided. Just then, it was possible to see that Gai's Aestivalis had disengaged from the main Jovian fleet, and had come to Akito's aid, helping him get to the opponent even faster and more reliably! "How many times do you have to hear that you can't just waltz onscreen and steal the spotlight! Now, let's get this guy… together, shall we?"

Both Aestivalis, their hands held together, flew towards the enemy Tetsujin, despite Gai's onboard consoles showing warning signs because of the added weight that made it difficult to fly adroitly. With a cocky grin, Gai gave even more power to his thrusters and lifted both himself and Akito higher in the air as they approached the massive Jovian unit at dizzying speed. The enemy still seemed hell-bent on taking down the Nadesico, and did not seem to pay the two friends any heed...

"Come on, guys! You can do it!" Fiona cheered from the sidelines, covering them by shopoting down any Batta that tried to chase after them. Daitarn-3 and the rest of the Aestivalis team were doing a great job themselves, and Akito and Gai were having no problems getting closer to their target. The Gekiganger otaku went just a little bit higher... and by then, the two friends were right above the Tetsujin, whose head laser beams were hammering the Nadesico's Distortion field mercilessly.

"Gai! It is now or never!" Akito exclaimed.

"Alright, Tenkawa! Let's show these Jovian scumbags what we're all about!" Gai answered. With a rapid flick of his Aestivalis' arm, he tossed Akito's unit a little higher in the air, and the brown-haired boy managed an impressive midair maneuver, straightening his unit and pointing its clenched fist right at the Tetsujin's massive back! Gai grinned again and did the same... and one split second later, both Aestivalis units swooped down, their thrusters brought to their limits and their extended fists powered with Distortion Fields! An onlooker wouldn't probably have seen much more than two streaks of blue and pink darting towards the Jovian unit!

"**DOUBLE... GEKIGAN FLARE**!" Akito and Gai exclaimed in unison as they covered the rest of the short distance that separated them from the Tetsujin! The two Aestivalis units, transformed into a single, Distortion Field-powered projectile, found their mark and struck the Tetsujin close to its neck, with a terrifying crunch of twisted metal and fried circuits... and the Gekiganger-like robot stiffened as if in an expression of pain and surprise as its laser misfired and missed the Nadesico entirely, before being dragged to the ground by the sheer power of Akito and Gai's combined attack! There was a deafening blast as the Tetsujin was slammed to the ground, and a huge cloud of dust and debris was kicked up by the Jovian unit's massive body being pushed inside the bedrock, and a few moments later, both Aestivalis units rose again, amidst the cheering of all those who had seen the scene! The Tetsujin was now lying motionless and helpless on the scorched Jovian landscape, its armor cracked and dented in several places, and its Distortion Field completely failing... while the Aestivalis units, despite having taken some damage, were standing proudly over their fallen opponent!

"Yaaaay!" Fiona exclaimed, the Excellence-S throwing a fist in the air. "That was fantastic!"

"Have you seen them, girls? They were just amazing!" the bubbly Hikaru commented. "A Double Gekigan Flare attack! I never thought I'd see the day where I would see one!"

"Not bad at all..." Izumi limited herself to commenting.

Ryoko smiled at the two triumphant Aestivalis units. "Heh, what can I say... just what one should expect from those two! They always find a way to surprise us!" Banjou simply nodded, a proud smile visible on Daitarn-3's steel-plated face.

On board the Nadesico, most crewmembers were cheering for Akito and Gai's victory, and even those who weren't still looked proudly at their saviours floating above the defeated Tetsujin, who still gave a few slight signs of function from time to time... but it was already too damaged to be a threat anymore. Yurika clapped loudly, and Ruri allowed herself a small smile and a nod, while Reika and Beauty embraced themselves in elation!

"An excellent job, everyone!" Yurika exclaimed. "Now, we just need to take out the rest of the Jovian fleet..."

"There will be no need for that, Captain!" Minato exclaimed happily. "It seems that the unknown unit's defeat has caused the rest of the unmanned units to retreat! The Battas and the Katonbos are fleeing from the battlefield!"

"Confirmed." Reika said, looking at her screen. "Jovian units are retreating! We have won this battle!"

Surprised, but still pleased, all crewmembers watched as the Jovians robots disengaged and ran away, with the Nadesico's Aestivalis units and Daitarn-3 still firing a few shots at them. In a minute, the menacing cloud of mechanical insects and unmanned cruisers had retreated over the horizon, leaving the Nadesico and its pilots to stand on a battlefield filled with debris, tired but victorious!

"Well..." Fiona murmured to herself as she relaxed in her pilot's seat. "This was hard... but we managed to pull through! Still, I'm afraid another problem will present itself soon..."

**oooooooooo**

Megumi was smiling from ear to ear as she watched the screens upon which Akito and Gai's victory over the Tetsujin had been displayed... and even the listless Martian refugees, who seemed to have given up hope only an hour earlier, were now acting relieved and hopeful. A few smiles had begun appearing on their faces, and several of them were murmuring words of gratitude for the Nadesico and Daitarn-3.

"Have you seen that, miss Fressange?" Megumi asked the blonde scientist. "One must never give up hope! I told you Akito could turn things around... and he just did! No matter what enemies the Jovian Lizards throw at us, he'll always find a way to prevail!"

"Well... I have to say, they did put up an impressive show." Inez admitted. Ever though, privately, she knew the Nadesico had only won a battle, and not the war, it was still a victory... Who knows, maybe they were even ready to handle the truth about the whole war...

**oooooooooo **

Only a few minutes later, the Nadesico had managed to land without further trouble, and the refugees had been able to finally walk out of the underground tunnels that had been their home for so long and see the light of the su at long, long last! A feeling of cautious hope had spread throughout them… and that's not speaking about Megumi, who was pretty much leaping out of the hideout to give Akito a big hug!

"Akito! Akito!" the freckle-faced voice actress exclaimed as she ran towards the pilots, who were now dismounting from their respective robots and were helping the rest of the Nadesico crew get the survivors onboard and ready for their return travel to Earth. Even little Topp was doing all he could to help with the embarking operations… and Akito was about to join the rest of the crew, when he was glomped from the side by the Nadesico's pretty comm officer! "Hahahaaa! I knew you could do it, Akito! You are the greatest guy I ever met! You did such a brave thing! You saved us all!"

"Argh!" Akito exclaimed, gently trying to disentangle himself from Megumi's hug. "Ugh… thank you, Megumi… but really, there is no need to be so blatant about it!"

"Aww, c'mon, Akito, what's wrong with it?" Megumi playfully pouted. Getting more an more embarassed by the minute, Akito began waling back towards the rest of the pilots… only to find hmself face to face with Yurika, who had dismounted the ship to help with the refugee problem as well… and had just happened in the wrong place at the wrong time!

"Gah!" Akito shouted, feeling like he was caught between a rock and a hard place. The expressionon Yurika's face was not exactly what one would call pleased – sure, she was smiling, but it was a smile filled with nervousness and contained anger at seeing her childhood friend and her love rival so close to each other… "Er… Yurika, it's not what it seems, really… let me just explain…"

"Aaaaand… exactly, what is the reason why Pilot Tenkawa and Comm Officer Reinard are displaying such… intimate demonstrations of affection?" the blue-haired captain asked, keeping a falsely formal tone and screaming on the inside while she forced a smile. "May I… remind you that we're still on a rescue mission?"

"Captain!" the more assertive Megumi protested. "We were just celebrating Akito's victory over those Jovians! Nothing wrong with showing a little appreciation for his efforts!"

On the sidelines, Fiona chuckled nervously as she tried to direct some survivors to the Nadesico's quarters. "Heh… geez, Megumi sure has a short-term memory…" she murmured sarcastically. "I mean, I was in that battle too, and I was trying to smash as many of those robot locusts as my arm would allow… and Mr. Banjou and the other Aestivalis pilots were sure doing their best too!"

As she said that, Fiona aught a glimpse of Gai approaching Akito, Megumi and Yurika, and energetically patting him on the shoulder in congratulations, exclaiming something about Akito having finally become man enough to stand to Gai Daigouji's side in battle! Ryoko was trying not to look at the whole debacle, and occasionally shooting an angry glance at Hikaru and Izumi, who were gossiping between themselves about Akito's love life! Further away, Banjou was surveying the damage dealt to Daitarn-3 by the Jovian robots, with Reika and Beauty at his sides… and Fiona couldn't help but draw a similarity with how Banjou, as well, was being fought over by two beautiful ladies, who at least were (a little) less vocal than Yurika and Megumi about it…

"Well, the damage to Daitarn-3 doesn't look too bad." Beauty was saying, taking a quick glance at the solar-powered robot, who did sport some cosmetic damage, but little more. "I'm no mechanic, but I think it will be back in perfect shape after just a little maintenance."

"Then again, aside from that unknown unit, the enemies were mostly rank-and-file AIs…" Banjou commented, casting a quick glance at the still-dwned Tetsujin, as if he wanted to make sure the huge Jovian robot could not stand u again to threaten them all. Luckily, ever since Akito and Gai had laid it low, the Tetsujin had not made a move, and had simply laid inert several yars away from the Nadesico…

Suddenly, a movement caught the Daitarn-3 pilot's attention! A small hatch opened up on the downed Tetsujin's back, and something came out of it, quickly scurrying out in the opposite direction of the Nadesico! At that distance, Banjou couldn't exactly make out what it was, but there was something he was sure of… and the realization and surprise froze him for a few seconds before he, Reika and Beauty were able to call out in alarm!

"A… a human! There was a human inside that thing!" Banjou exclaimed, pointing at the fleeing figure. Everyone immediately stopped whatever it was they were doing and turned their heads tothe Tetsujin… just in time to see a humanoid figure, clad in a piloting suit that greatly resembled those worn by the pilots of Gekiganger 3, jumping off the inert Tetsujin and making a run for it!

"Wh… what?" Akito murmured, his eyes affixed to the man who was running away, far enough from he crew that they couldn't do much about him… "What… What's the meaning of this? How can there be… a person piloting that Jovian robot?"

Fiona's only reaction was a worried frown, in contrast with the shocked and disbelieving faces all round her…

As soon as she was able to shake off her amazement at seeing a human being coming out of the Jovian unit, Yurika shook her head and called out for someone to apprehend the fleeing person! "Er… s… Someone stop that man, please! We need to catch him and understand what he was doing there!" the blue-haired captain exclaimed, shaking her crew out of their amazement. Ryoko, the most battle-hardened of the Aestivalis team, was about to make a run for her Aestivalis and chase after the fleeing man… but she stopped in her tracks as she saw that someone unexpected had already beaten her to the punch: Garrison, Banjou's butler, had just come out of the Nadesico, riding an old-style bicycle which still seemed to be well-cared for and functioning!

"There is no need that you inconvenience yourselves chasing after that fugitive, miss Ryoko." the elderly gentleman said calmly. "I will take care of this endeavor for you."

The green-haired leader of the Aestivalis team looked at Garrison's bicycle in disbelief, asking herself whether Garrison actually wanted to chase after the runaway Tetsujin pilot with that... and, above all, whether he would be able to detain him if he managed to catch up with him. "Er... Garrison, it's not that I am doubting you or anything ,but... are you sure you're going to catch that guy with... that?"

"Hohohoo! Do not concern yourself over that, miss Ryoko. I have been a bicycle racer in my youth, and I can assure you, I have lost none of my touch." Garrison answered with a good-natured chuckle.

Banjou nodded at his butler. "I'm counting on you, Garrison. Don't let that guy get away."

**oooooooooo**

The young man who had come out of the Tetsujin was frantically running away, trying to reach a bunch of rocky formations where he would be able to hiode himself and not be detected so easily. If he managed to get there, he would then be able to contact HQ on the Jupiter satellite, so that they would soon send a rescue party to recover him... And at any rate, what really mattered was not to getcaught by the crew of the Nadesico! He had quite an head start, but he knew he could not outrun the Aestivalis once they had been activated. It was wise to have waited until the Nadesico and all of its units had landed... and as a reward for his wariness, he had almost managed to reach the rocky maze...

But the sound of a bicycle running at high speed stopped him in his tracks, and the Tetsujin pilot halted his run just in time: Garrison, riding his trusty bicycle, managed to get in front of him and cut him off of his escape route. As Garrison dismounted, he took a good look at the escaping pilot, noticing much to his surprise that he looked like a slightly older version of Gai Daigouji, probably around 20 years of age or a little more: with his black, unruly hair and a determined expression on his face, the Tetsujin pilot could really be mistakes for the Nadesico's resident hotblooded pilot at first glance, but there were a few subtle differences that Garrison could not possibly miss: the unknown pilot's expression was slightly calmer, and instead of the standard bodysuit, he was wearing a blue piloting uniform that really looked like it had come straight out of Gekiganger 3, clinging to his body like a second skin.

"I apologize for the uncouth manner of getting your attention," the butler said, never once losing any bit of his affability. "But I would ask you to come quietly on the Nadesico. Captain Misumaru has a few questions she would ask of you."

"Really? Over my dead body!" was the young man's answer, as he dashed forward to punch out Garrison. With an agility one would not have expected from a person his age, the elderly gentleman easily sidestepped the hit, and at the same time, he brought his own fist forward, hitting the Tetsujin pilot in the stomach! The wind knocked off of him, the younger man gasped and doubled over in pain... and all that was left for Garrison to do was hit him once in the back of his neck with a karate chop, knocking him unconscious. After that, with unflappable calm, Garrison took a comm device out of his British-style suit and contacted the Nadesico.

"Master Banjou? I have apprehended the fugitive." Garrison stated. "He appears to be a human being, just like ourselves. Also, he does not appear to haveexplosives or other potentially dangerous devices with himself. Shall I bring him onboard?"

"_By all means, Garrison_." came Banjou's voice from the other side of the communication. "_There are quite a few things that leave us all unconvinced... and if my hunch is correct, there are a few things Nergal has not told us about Project Schiaparelli_..."

"Yes, I understand..." Garrison answered, not bothering to hide an hint of worry in his voice as well. He took a glance at the unconscious young man lying close to him, before hauling him over his shoulder and carefully placing him on the back of his bicycle. With a small sigh, the Haran family's butler began pedaling back to the Nadesico.

"Well, young man... you may not be aware of that, but your retrieval seems to have kicked up quite a hornet's nest. Things definitely will not remain quiet for long, back on Earth." he said...

**oooooooooo**

"What on Earth does that mean? That robot was piloted... by a human being?"

"You got me. I have no explanation for that, either."

"In other words, the ones attacking us... were humans all along?"

"I have no idea what to answer to that... that guy looked human alright!"

News had quickly spread throughout the Nadesico's crew and the refugees... and needless to say, they had brought quite a bit of unrest! The only ones who did not seem as perturbed were Ruri (and she had shown some noticeable hints of surprise as well), Inez and Fiona... all the others' reactions ranged from disbelief to actual fear, and the rescue operations were getting messier because of that!

"Argh! Please, people, respect the order!" Prospector was trying to call for order. "You are kindly asked to get inside the Nadesico in order and without further unrest... or the operations will get messier! Not to mention, they might end up costing more than we thought..."

"What do you have to say about this?" a refugee asked angrily. "Did you guys at Nergal knew about human beings piloting Jovian machines? And if so, why didn't anyone tell us?"

"We request answers, and now!" another exclaimed. Prospected winced and stepped backwards, only for his imposing colleague Goat Hory to clap his hands as he stepped in.

"Please, gentlemen! This situation has caught us by surprise as well!" Goat thundered. "It is understandable that you are upset, but believe us when we say that we are just as surprised as you are..."

"Oh, boy... this sure made quite a mess..." Fiona stated as she hauled her Excellence-S back to the Nadesico. Her injured arm stung a little, but overall she seemed to be okay... and in any case, what was going on at that moment needed to take priority over her physical conditions. Yurika, Minato and Megumi wereall doing their best to quell the unrest, with all the help they could get from the Aestivalis pilots, Reika and Beauty... while Banjou, Seiya, Jun and some members of the Nadesico's maintenance were trying to get a look at the abandoned Tetsujin, in the hope of finding out something that might add a few more pieces to the puzzle. She was about to halt her Excellence-S and dismount to help out as well... when a scramble message came from the Nadesico's main bridge, and when the surprised Fiona opened up her connection, a screen showing Ruri's neutral face opened up, immediately followed by the pre-teen operator annonucing somedisturbing news.

"R-Ruri!" Fiona exclaimed, as a similar comm screen opened up close to every other crewmember, bearing the same visual and message.

"I know the moment is not ideal, but Omoikane has picked up some new energy sources coming from south-west of us." the young girl announced, keeping her tone neutral. "Several enemies are approaching the Nadesico. Identified as units belonging to the Meganoids."

The message immediately caused Banjou to grit his teeth in anger, and he raised his eyes to the skies from which the newcoming enemy was sure to arrive soon...

"Meganoids... they sure have not wasted time..."

As if summoned by the young billionairie's words, several comm screens coming from an unidentified source popped up in front of several members of the crew, all sporting the same image: a coldly beautiful red-haired woman with deathly white skin and piercing blue eyes, staring straight at them, and addressing them with a pointed, unsubtle ultimatum!

"_To all pilots and crewmembers of the High Mobile Battleship Nadesico._" She said, with cold detachment. "_The loyal soldiers of the Meganoids Empire are closing in on you. We are too numerous for you to resist and your battleship has just barely scaped through a battle with the Jovian Lizards. Surrender and lay down your weapons, and I can give you my word that your lives will be saved. You will be turned into Meganoids, and your skills will be put to better use by serving our glorious empire. Eternal life at our side, or swift annihilation. You decide._"

Banjou's eyes narrowed dangerously as he murmured the woman's name.

"Koros…"

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**Author's note: Oh boy, there's just no rest for our heroes, is there? Not only have they discovered the secret of he Jovian Lizards… but they now have to contend with the Meganoids closing in on them while they're trying to regroup! Another battle wil soon ensue… and this time, the Nadesico and Daitarn-3 crews might not get so lucky! Wil they manage to escape this danger as well and return to Earth? **

**The answers will come in the next chapter!**

**As I said, I added two more series to the mix… which brings my crossover to a rather hefty total, if I do say so myself! But don't worry, this is going to be the final list of shows appearing in this crossover… and I'll make sure they fit in nicely!**

**With that said, I bid you farewell for now and… hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**See you soon!**

**Lily**


	22. Meganoid Attack!

**SUPER ROBOT TAISEN S**

**oooooooooo**

**Hello there! It was about time I updated this thing, wasn't it? I apologize for the lateness, but both other stories, other issues, and my Super Robot Wars and Pokemon games had distracted me from continuing this story... just when I had left Fiona and the Nadesico / Daitarn 3 crews facing an unexpected attack from the Meganoids, led by Don Zauser's right-hand-woman Koros! Can the heroes weather the massive assault and get bak to Earth in one piece and with the Mars refugees... or will they meet an inglorious end on the sands of the red planet? The answers to this question will be revealed in this chapter, so... enjoy the ride, and may the power of the sun be with you!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 22 - Meganoid Attack! **

"Koros..." Banjou said, narrowing his eyes at the image of the red-haired Meganoid woman appearing on the comm screen right in front of him. There was no doubt about it - there she was, the field commander of those despicable mechanical horrors that had taken his family and his home away from him...

As if she could feel Banjou's hateful glare on him, Koros turned to the Daitarn 3 pilot, regarding him with a cold, appraising stare. "It is quite surprising to meet you in such a place, Haran Banjou." she commented, without really changing her expression or looking like she was surprised at all. "Unless, of course, you have come all the way to Mars in order to be turned into a Meganoid yourself."

"I had no idea Meganoids could crack jokes as well, Koros." Banjou answered, a forced smile on his young face.

Once again, Koros was left unfazed. "Meganoids are superior to humans in each and every aspect." she countered calmly. "Even their sense of humour is enhanced."

Banjou shrugged uncaringly. "I have no trouble believing this. Especially when I think of how many buffoons you Meganoids have got in your army." he answered.

However, challenging banter aside, the situation was looking grim for the Nadesico crew and the refugees, who had just barely survived an all-out assault from the Jovian forces, and were still busy digesting the news that the Jovian Lizards might be human after all. Just then, the Meganoid army came into view, approaching the still-immobile Nadesico on two sides: most of it was composed of flying plane-like fighters called Ai-Ai, who looked like some kind of small futuristic planes with reactors mounted on their wings and made in a blue-grey material. However, there were also a few larger and more worrying enemies to face: four gigantic tanks, each one about half as tall as the Nadesico was long, with vicious-looking threads and cannons jutting out each and every part of their frames, were standing in the rear lines, two for each side... and among the countless Ai-Ais littering the skies were a few bird-like robots with steel feathers and drills on their legs, whose raptor-like head was armed with a razor-sharp frontal fin and a cruelly curved beak.

The situation was getting progressively worse: the Nadesico crew and the refugees weren't exactly in the shape to take on the Meganoid army that was surrounding them, even disregarding the fact that most of them were still reeling from the discovery that the Jovians might actually have been humans all along. "Meganoid units approaching, Captain." Ruri stated, still refusing to lose her almost inhuman calm. "A fight in this place would most likely endanger the safety of the Martian refugees and attract undue attention on us."

"I know, Ruri… we need to retreat for now! But the question is… where?" Yurika asked herself, trying to think of a possible solution. A few seconds later, though, the blue-haired captain snapped her fingers and her expression perked up! "Wait, I got it! Miss Fressange, you said that the Jovians came from a Tulip that is placed further ahead, right?"

"Yes, that would be the case." The blonde scientis, who was now standing close to the captain's seat, confirmed. "Evidently, you plan to use the Tulip to Boson Jump to a safe place, trusting the Nadesico's Distortion Field to let the crew survive the transfer."

"Yes, that's precisely it, Miss Fressange!" Yurika answered. "If we can just fight off the Meganoids long enough to reach the Tulip, then all we need to do is recall our units and fly off to safety! It's all very simple, no? Miss Fressange, since you said you worked on this ship as well, can you confirm this?"

"Theoretically, yes." Inez answered. "The Nadesico's Distortion Field should be able to hold and preserve the crew. However, I should warn you that this plan might be very risky, and we cannot make predictions where we will end up reappearing."

"As long as it gets us and the colonists away from the Meganoids, I am not going to be picky about that…" Megumi, sitting at her place as a comm. Officer, said, gulping in fright as she looked at the massive Meganoid armies lining up on both sides and in front of the Nadesico.

"We need to at least try…" Minato answered. "Captain, all systems ready. We can take off as soon as the refugees are on board!"

"Good job, Minato!" Yurika answered, before opening a comm. window to all the pilots who were still on the battlefield. "Everyone, cluster around the Nadesico and try to ward off the Meganoids until we have a clear shot at getting to the Tulip! Mr. Banjou, do not get carried away! I know this is personal to you, but I must ask you to refrain from an all-out attack."

"I know, captain Misumaru. Saving the refugees is our top priority right now." Banjou answered, his personal hatred for Meganoids failing to cloud his judgement. "I will support the Aestivalis units as the Nadesico makes its way to the Tulip."

"I'll lend a hand as well!" Fiona answered. "If we stay here, we will only be targeted by more and more enemies, and we'll eventually get overwhelmed. It's better to take a gamble and get into the Tulip! And about that… Captain, Akito, Miss Fressange… I think I have a suggestion!"

"What?" Akito asked. "What is it?"

Fiona looked nervously at the Meganoid army. The first Ai-Ais were getting bolder and were not starting to shoot missiles and lasers at her, which she managed to nimbly avoid. "Ugh… they're commencing attack! No more time to waste! As soon as we get into the Tulip, concentrate on going back to Earth! It can be an image of anywhere on Earth!"

Gai seemed to be intrigued by the thought. "Hmm… using our indomitable force of will to get back on Earth without being scattered in the process, huh?" he said cockily. "Captain, I'm trusting Fiona on this one! People's hearts can make the impossible possible!"

**oooooooooo**

"Achoo!"

On board another Earth Union battleship, Lieutenant Mu La Flaga of the Earth Union Space Army put his hands in front of his mouth and sneezed, startling the crew who was with him at the moment.

"Ah… bless you, Lieutenant La Flaga!" Kira said, turning to the blond Moebius Zero pilot. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just fine, kid!" Mu replied coolly, wiping his hands clean with an handkerchief. "I just had this uneasy feeling someone was stealing my catchphrase…"

"Huh?" There was not much Kira could do except blink in confusion…

**oooooooooo**

"Huh? Are you serious, girl?" Ryoko asked in incredulity. "That's it? We hae to thrust ourselves into that Tulip… and think of Earth? What kind of screwed up gamble is this, anyway?"

"It's worth a shot." Reika replied from the Nadesico's bridge. "And it's definitely better than staying here at the mercy of the Meganoids."

Prospector gulped and adjusted his glasses. "I… am not sure about that. I just hope the property damage Nergal will have to pay for will not be too much…"

"If anything happens, I won't be held responsible." Goat muttered, sitting down and fastening a seat belt around his muscular body.

"It's decided, then!" Yurika concluded. "Hurry up with getting all the refugees on board! We'll start up the engines and make a beeline for the Tulip as soon as we're done with that!"

"Acknowledge, Captain Misumaru!" Banjou answered, before turning back to the image of Koros on his comm. screen. "Koros, I'm afraid our deciding battle will have to wait. I have more important things to do right now."

Of course, the redheaded Meganoid woman was not going to give up that easily. "Do not think you will be allowed to run away, Haran Banjou. All units, commence attack! Disable the Nadesico's engines and capture the crew alive if possible."

"Fat chance!" Fiona fired back. Her Excellence-S' claw arm opened and fired a Prisma Beam at the closest Ai-Ai, destroying it immediately. "We're not exactly happy to be chased by you guys!"

"Ugh… I'm not sure this is going to end well, but… what the Hell! We'll give it a shot!" Ryoko said, powering up her crimson Aestivalis once again. "Hikaru, Izumi! You stay with me and shoot down anything that comes into range! Tenkawa, Yamada! We'll be counting on you for backup!"

"Got it!" Hikaru, Izumi and Akito answered in unison.

"Hey! Didn't I tell you that my name is Daigouji, Gai Daigouji!" Gai fired back.

Ryoko was not in the mood for pleasantries. "Call yourself however you want, but move your ass and take out some Meganoids!" she fired back. "Aestivalis team, charge!"

The five Aestivalis all got ready and began firing away at the Meganoids' main force, taking out a couple Ai-Ais with their first shots. The Meganoids retaliated with a barrage of lasers from their flying vehicles' wings, and both the bird-like robots and the gigantic tanks that made up the rear guard of the enemy host began firing at them...

From her commander's seat on board one of the giant tanks, Koros shook her head at Banjou's stubborn refusal to give in. "Haran Banjou... you are an ignorant fool who does not understand Don Zauser's sadness." she stated, and one could probably have perceived an hint of sorrow and regret in her usually emotionless voice.

The Daitarn 3 pilot growled in anger. "A meganoid's sadness? Might as well be humanity's happiness." he said, before Daitarn 3 got into a fight pose and pointed a finger accusingly at the Meganoid horde, loudly proclaiming his catchphrase.

"For the world's sake, for the people's sake, Daitarn 3 will crush the ambitions of the Meganoids!" Banjou exclaimed. Daitarn 3 then placed his right index and middle fingers on the sun tiara on its forehead, and it glowed with solar energy for a split second as Banjou went on with his challenge. "If you are not afraid of the shine of the Sun... then BRING IT ON!"

"Hmph..." Koros grunted, as she quickly got down to business and began giving instructions to her subordinates. "To all units, do not let the Nadesico through! Swarm Daitarn 3 and try to take it down by any means necessary, but don't stay in a cluster... we need to avoid the Nadesico's Gravity Blast at all costs!"

"Acknowledge, Lady Koros!" several Meganoid soldiers answered at the same time, hurrying up to organize the offensive line. Daitarn 3 unsheathed its Daitarn Zanba once again and stood on guard, a dangerous frown on its metallic face...

**oooooooooo**

On board the Nadesico, everyone who was not supervising the transfer of the refugees was busy observing the battle scenes that the Nadesico's screen were showing to the crew. The Aestivalis units, the Excellence-S and Daitarn 3 had just started fighting back against the Meganoid horde, and were busy fighting their way through the countless Ai-Ais trying to swarm the Nadesico. Several of the Meganoid fighters had already been downed, and just at that moment, Ryoko's combat knife had found its mark once again, severing an Ai-Ai's wing and sending the flying vehicle plummeting to the unforgiving rocky terrain of Mars.

However, the Meganoids were simply too numerous for the team to handle them all... and in fact, several of the Ai-Ais had managed to break away from the formation and were trying to attack the Nadesico! Luckily, the crew, and especially Yurika, was quick to answer to this.

"Ruri, try to give as much power as possible to the secondary shields!" the blue-haired captain exclaimed, knowing that putting up the Distortion Field was going to be impossible during the rescue operations. "Repair teams, stand by and get ready to head for the damaged sections! To all turrets, prepare to fight back with the close range missiles! Minato, Megumi, try to keep the ship stable!"

"Already on it, captain!" Minato answered, deeply concentrated on the onboard instruments while still keeping her warm, cheerful smile.

"The enemy is trying to surrond us." Ruri stated, never once giving the impression that she was losing her cool. "The Nadesico's Gravity Blast cannon will not be able to handle them all, especially if they're scattered."

"We know..." Beauty stated, looking over in worry as the Daitarn-3, piloted by her beloved Banjou, cut apart another Ai-Ai with his Daitarn Zanba. "We can just hope that our guys can hold out unil the rescue operations are completed..."

"Don't worry, Ms. Tachibana, we are already on it." Jun answered with anod, before going back to giving orders to the rest of the crew. "To all personnel, hurry to the proximities of the affected areas! Put out the fires! To the manned close combat turrents, get ready to take down anything that comes close!"

"This is going to be tough..." Prospectr murmured to himself, hoping they could save the refugees and get to the Tulip while at the same time avoiding excessive damage...

**oooooooooo**

"**Crusher Kick!**" Fiona yelled, her Excellence-S executing a perfect roundabout kick in midair and destroying two Ai-Ais at the same time. The pieces of the flying vehicles fell to the ground in a shower of flames and steel, but the girl soon found herself under heavy fire and was forced to retreat: a Mettanger, one of the bird-like robots, had targetted her and was now shooting a barrage of drill-shaped missiles at her! Using the Excllence-S' clawed arm, Fiona managed to swat several shots away, even if she did so with noticeable difficulty - her still casted arm was a significant hindrance in piloting. "Ugh... dammit, I hope they don't take too long to bring all the refugees onboard! These things are tough... I don't think we can hold on for much longer!"

"Keep it together, Fiona! **Sun Laser!**" Banjou exclaimed. The sun tiara on Daitarn 3's forehead glowed briefly, and then unleashed a powerful beam of solar energy that burned its way through the Mettanger's body, and caused it to detonate in a spectacular explosion. Several Ai-Ais emerged from behind the wrecked bird-like robot and began firing away at Daitarn 3 with their wing-mounted machine guns... and the solar-powered giant robot was barely able to grab its war fan and unfold it, using it as a shield to deflect the attacks! Close by, the trio of female Aestivalis pilots was dealing with another Mettanger, and were barely able to keep its drills and claws from catching one of them!

"Damn... this guy is harder than I thought!" Ryoko muttered to herself as she dodged the Mettanger's preternaturally sharp claws. With an enraged yell, the green-haired pilot slashed at the Mettanger as soon as she had a chance... and managed to regain altitude, while Hikaru and Izumi fired away at one of the other attackers, forcing the birdlike monstrosity to stand back and try to defend itself . As soon as she managed to find an opening, Ryoko smirked at sped towards the Mettanger, the Aestivalis' right fist extended in a powerful punch surrounded by a powerful Distortion Field! "Heh... nice job, girls! Leave the rest to me!"

"Okie-dokie!" Hikaru answered. She and Izumi flew back, still firing away at the Mettanger, and Ryoko's red Aestivalis zoomed towards the Meganoid robot, striking it in the chest area with a Distortion Field powered punch before zooming away just in time not to get caught in the explosion! The Mettanger blew up in a satisfying shower of flames and twisted metal, and Ryoko allowed herself a smile... just a split second before another barrage of lasers forced her to dodge and power up her Distortion Field, barely managing to avoid damage!

"Damn..." Ryoko cursed. "Too many of them... I hope the captain can get all the refugees on board quickly, or we won't be able to last much longer here!"

Close by, Fiona, Akito and Gai were trying to keep another bunch of Meganoid soldiers occupied, and frantically trying to dodge the bombardment they were exposed to at the same time. Daitarn 3 was trying to shield the more frail Aestivalis from the onslaught of attacks, and was doing a good job of it... but the numerical superiority of the enemy pretty much ensured that any drawn-out battle was going to be hopeless!

Banjou bit back a curse as a volley of missiles from one of the Nibelgens (the enormous tanks) struck Daitarn 3 in the chest, causing the robot itself to grit its teeth as it stumbled backwards. The young billionaire shook his head to clear it, and glared at the comm screen in front of himself as Koros once again appeared upon it, her expression never changing one iota. "Us Meganoids would like to be fair about this - we will give you another chance to surrender and turn yourselves over to us." she stated. "It would be a crying shame to wastethe talents of someone as skilled as you are. Do you not see the advantage? Accept to become Meganoids, and you will be free from all the burdens of life, living forever in the body of a superior being."

"I will never go back on what I believe!" Banjou hotly fired back. "I refuse to sacrifice my humanity for such a small price. Or at all, for that matter!"

Gai smirked, in spite of his Aestivalis having barely dodged the lasers fired by one of the Ai-Ais. "Yeah, what he said! The great Gai Daigouji here does not need to be turned into same kind of ugly-ass robot in order to be awesome!" he stated. "**Gekigan Shoot!**"

Dramatically yelling the name of what was supposed to be some kind of super move, Gai fired his Rapid Rifle at the offending Ai-Ai, riddling the fragile fighter plane with bullets and causing it to detonate! Koros shook her head and interrupted the communication... and a split second later, the Meganoids renewed their attack, the Nibelgens and Mettangers inching dangerously close to the Nadesico's main fighting force. More missiles were fired from the Meganoids, the Nadesico pilots barely able to keep up with the relentless assault!

"Gai! Everyone, be careful!" Akito exclaimed, as he and his friends tried to get closer to the Nadesico. Several Ai-Ais were getting dangerously close and hammering the mighty battleship with missiles and lasers, and if the rescue operations couldn't be completed in time, things were going to get dicey indeed!

**oooooooooo**

Yurika held tightly to a nearby railing as a barrage of missiles struck the side of the Nadesico, violently shaking the main bridge! "Ugh... Ruri-ruri, damage report! Is the Nadesico still able to move?" the blue-haired captain asked, silently hoping this was indeed the case.

Ruri nodded silently. "Affirmative, Captain. The external armor is holding for now." she answered, her hands deftly moving over the consoles. "But it will not be able to hold for long, if this keeps up. We need to finish up the recovery operations as soon as possible."

Megumi briefly turned her head to another screen right beside her seat, and smiled in relief. "Captain, we have a call from the crew... they have just now finished accomodating all the refugees on board! We can depart for Earth as soon as you wish!" she said with enthusiasm.

A victorious smile appeared onYurika's face. "That's good! If that is the case, we'll begin a fighting retreat!" she answered. "Megumi, recall the Excellence-S, Daitarn 3 and the Aestivalis units immediately... Minato, have the engines started up! Ruri, as soon as we are able to move, try to direct all the power you can to hold up the Distortion Field! We'll make a beeline for the Tulip and enter it!"

"Affirmative." the silver-haired pre-teen answered, the IFS symbol on the back of her left hand glowing a silverish sheen as she communicated with the ship's AI, Omoikane. Soon enough, the rumbling noise of the ship's engines being started up filled the main bridge, temporarily drowning out the explosions of the battle just outside of it...

"Nadesico here! Aestivalis units, Daitarn 3, Excellence-S, do you copy?" Megumi exclaimed into her comm windows. "Begin a fighting retreat back to the Nadesico's hangars!"

**oooooooooo**

"Acknowledge! We'll start heading back right now... if these bastards allow us to, of course!" Ryoko answered, before roughly pulling the cloche towards her and swerving at the last possible moment in order to avoid a dangerous-looking shell from a Nibelgen's side gun. The huge tank was firing all around itself with the many cannons placed on its massive body, and the Aestivalis had been forced to scatter in order not to be taken down. Izumi, Hikari and Akito opened fire with their Rapid Rifles, but at such distance, they could not effectively target the cannons, and weren't able to inconvenience the Nibelgen...

"Try to get back to the Nadesico, everyone!" Banjou said, trying to place his massive Daitarn 3 between the smaller combat robots and the Meganoid army. The enemy was now getting dangerously close, and seemed to be about to form an encirclement in front of the Nadesico, in order to prevent them from reaching the Tulip! "I'll hold off the Meganoids until you can get inside!"

"Wait, Mr. Banjou!" Fiona exclaimed. She was glad to have received the order for retreat, but she couldn't help but be worried about leaving an ally to fend off that huge army. "Are you really going to be okay? That's a pretty huge group of enemies you're about to face..."

The young billionairie chuckled somewhat bitterly as Daitarn 3, its own face mirroring its pilot's expression, took out a massive flail and began swinging it in front of himself. "Don't worry your pretty little head about me, Miss Grayden! I've had my fair share of experience facing these guys, and I'm not going to let them take me off guard! **Daitarn Hammer!**"

Daitarn 3 executed a powerful swing with its flail, and it struck a Mettanger that had gotten too close straight in the chest, opening a huge gash in its metallic skin, and sending the birdlike robot in a spiralling descent, which ended earlier than predicte as it impacted upon another robot of the same model! There was a deafening sound of metal crashing against metal as both Mettangers went up in a blast that took out even the few Ai-Ais close to them... but the remaining Meganoids scattered, trying to get around Daitarn 3 and attack the Aestivalis and the Excellence-S as they were making their way back to the Nadesico's hangars! Luckily, the pilots were not going to be caught off guard...

"Take care of those damn fliers! Take them down, one by one!" Ryoko admonished, being the first to see a group of Ai-Ais bearing down on her and her team. Akito's Ground Frame Aestivalis halted abruptly and turned in the flying units' direction, aiming its fists at them... and Gai followed suit, not wanting to lose out on a piece of action!

"Ugh... I just wanted to be a cook, why do I have to do this?" Akito murmured to himself. "Alright then, if I must, I must... **Gekigan Punch!**"

The pink Aestivalis' fists shot out, connected to the rest of the arm via a long iron cable, and sped towards the Ai-Ais, who mostly managed to avoid the mighty blow... but one of them was not quick enough, and the Aestivalis' Wired Fists smashed its front part and its cockpit, instantly destroying the cyborg soldier at the helm! The flier fell to the ground in a heap of smoking ruin, and Akito recalled the Wired Fists and was immediately back on his way to the Nadesico... but he stopped when he saw that Gai's Aestivalis was lagging behind, firing shots from his Rapid Rife in order to distract and hopefully take down the Ai-Ais. "Gai! Be careful, these guys are no joke! Don't try to overdo it!"

"Hehehee... try and remember who's the hero around here, Tenkawa!" Gai answered with his trademark cocky grin. "In case you still haven't gotten it, might I remind you that I am the great Gai Daigouji, and it will take more than a few tin cans to take me down? So, let's get our asses in gear, Tenkawa, and let's blow up a few of these blowhard!"

Akito blinked in surprise for a few seconds, then managed a small smile and nodded. "Okay, let's do it! But don't think for a moment you're going to sacrifice yourself here! We're getting onboard the Nadesico together!" he exclaimed, causing Gai to flash a thumbs-up sign at him.

"Hey, boys!" Fiona called from her Excellence-S, as she frantically tried to dodge the beams fired by the Ai-Ais. "I don't mind witty banter and badass speeches, but you might want to concentrate on avoiding these guys first! In case you haven't noticed, they're still a lot more numerous than we are!"

"Don't worry, Fiona girl! We can take them, for now!" Hikaru answered, her Aerial Frame dispatching another Ai-Ai with a well-placed slash from its combat knife. The Aestivalis team and the Excellence-S had managed to get close to the Nadesico now, with Daitarn 3 staying a little behind in order to keep the Meganoids at bay... but Fiona and the Nadesico pilots were worried about him lagging too far behind. If that happened, he would quickly get overwhelmed by the Meganoids!

"Okay, guys... I just need to take some pressure off of Mr. Banjou! **Chest Smasher!**" Fiona exclaimed. The cannon on the Excellence-S' chest fired a beam of yellow energy that struck the side of a Nibelgen, causing the massive tank to swerve dangerously on one side, its threads getting caught in a fissure among the rocks! Another of the massive tanks found its "comrade" on its way, obstructing its passage, and was unable to turn away in time before impacting upon it, and throwing part of the Meganoid army into chaos!

"Remain within the ranks! Stop the enemy from getting onboard their battleship!" Koros called for calm within her unit, even though it was clear that the Meganoids' lines were being thrown into disarray. The Ai-Ais retreated slightly, giving Daitarn and the rest of the Nadesico team time to reorganize themselves and get closer to the high mobile battleship. Daitarn fired a few Daitarn Missiles from its legs in order to cover the retreat, and soon enough, the whole team managed to get inside the Nadesico's hangars and take a breath of relief, while the mighty battleship raised its Distortion Field once again! However, they were still not out of the woods: knowing full well what they were trying to do, the Meganoids began forming a barricade between the Nadesico and the Tulip it was heading for, in an attempt to stop the Earth Union battleship with sheer force of numbers. Akito, Banjou, Fiona and the others had barely managed to get off their robots before the enemy formation closed in on the Nadesico!

"Well, we seem to have managed... somehow..." Fiona commented, wiping her forehead with her good arm. "But I'm afraid we still need to break through that horde of Meganoids if we are to escape!"

"I just hope Yurika knows what she's doing..." Akito murmured to himself, just as Yurika's face appeared on a comm window right in front of the gathered pilots, startling them quite a bit!

"_Attention to all pilots!_" Yurika exclaimed. "_We will now use the Gravity Blast to carve a hole in the Meganoids' ranks and then we'll head straight to the Tulip! Everybody please brace yourselves! This is going to be rough!_"

"What? She's actually going to use the Gravity Blast to blast through those things and then charge right into their ranks?" Ryoko exclaimed, seemingly worried about the recklessness of such an action... only to reveal, just a second later, that she approved one hundred per cent of it! "That's just... just... the greatest idea she ever came up with!" she continued, grinning almost from ear to ear!

"Guess I should have expected that from Ryoko..." Izumi murmured. "Anyway, let's get our seat belts fastened, shall we? Or else we'll get in over our belts fast!"

The tallest of the three female pilots snickered at her own joke, causing Fiona and Ryoko to groan in annoyance... but Banjou found himself agreeing with the extravagant pilot, and urged everyone to brace themselves - whenever the Nadesico used its Gravity Blast, it was never a quiet affair! "The pun was debatable, but she's right... everybody, just try to hold on to something, or if that isn't possible, get back inside your cockpits and brace yourselves! You need to make sure the recoil from the Gravity Blast doesn't throw you around!"

Nobody objected to that and quickly secured himself or herself, as a low sound, the telltale sign of the Nadesico's Gravity Blast cannon being powered up, began echoing in the hangars and in the battleship's corridors...

**oooooooooo**

Outside of the Nadesico, the large cannon on the ship's front part had begun to glow a strange, otherworldly light as particles of light were being sucked in, eerily lighting up the ship... and Koros, onboard her own Nibelgen, quickly understood that they were in danger! Without losing her almost innatural calmness, the second-in-command of the Meganoid Empire gave her troops the order to fall back. "To all units, high energy reaction coming from the Nadesico! Disengage the enemy and scatter. Gravity Blast incoming." she orderer, in time for the bulk of the Meganoid army to follow through and disengage. However, several of them were too close to the Nadesico and to each other to be able to scatter in time... and by the time they got themselves organized, the buildup of energy in the Nadesico's main cannon was over!

A penetrating keening sound reverberated through the barren Martian landscape, as the beams of light coming out of the Gravity Blast cannon became more and more intense... and finally, the Nadesico's cannon flared to life, shooting forth an enormous beam of destructive gravitational forces that warped space-time around themselves and struck the Ai-Ais, the Mettangers and a single Nibelgen full force! For a split second, the Meganoid units that had been struck remained still, and the landscape around them changed color and flickered slightly under the peripheral effect of the Gravity Blast... then, like a can of soda being squeezed under a train, the robots imploded on themselves and were quickly turned into a pile of scrap metal and dust, while the Meganoid units that were a little farther away were thrown around by the immense power of the Gravity Blast like leaves in the wind! The landscape seemingly vanished in a dazzling white luminescence, and everybody on the Nadesico's bridge covered their eyes from the blinding light of the explosions... and soon enough, the rumbling noise died down, allowing everyone to see that the Nadesico's Gravity Blast had blown a huge hole through the Meganoids' army, clearing a straight road towards the Tulip!

"Wow..." was Beauty's only comment. "I had no idea the Nadesico's Gravity Blast was this powerful... it blew all those Meganoids away like they were nothing!"

"That's why the Earth Union wants to get their hands on it..." Reika commented. "They figure the Nadesico is too powerful for a battleship belonging to a private company like Nergal, and want it under their thumb somehow... this is why we had so much trouble when we tried to reach Mars..."

"The way is clear, Captain!" Megumi happily exclaimed, but some warning lights from her console quickly put a damper on her enthusiasm. "But... we have consumed quite a bit of energy from that. We cannot afford to shoot the Gravity Blast a second time, or our Distortion Field will not hold."

"That's no problem! We'll simply devote all energy to maintaining the Distortion Field as we fly towards the Tulip!" Yurika stated with a vivacious smile. "everyone, brace yourselves! The Meganoids will attack us from all directions now! Minato, boost the engines, we need to reach the Tulip as fast as possible!"

"Already on it, Captain!" the buxom helmswoman replied. The Nadesico's engines roared to life, and the invisible time-space barrier that surrounded it was boosted to the point where it created small ripples around the battleship... and while the Meganoids were trying to regroup, the battleship began charging forward at top speed, taking advantage of the temporary hole in the enemy's ranks! Several Ai-Ais tried to shoot the engines, but the Distortion Field surrounding the Nadesico was too powerful, at least for the moment, and all attacks dissipated upon impact!

"All units, target the Nadesico's Distortion Field." Koros ordered, in a last-ditch attempt of stopping the Earth battleship from leaving Meganoid territory. "Aim at the engines and render it immobile."

The Meganoids immediately redoubled their efforts, showering the Nadesico with a veritable inferno of lasers and missiles that slammed the Distortion Field with incredible force. The ship reeled and lost stability for a moment under the heavy fire, but the Distortion Field managed to hold... the question was, for how long was it going to suffice? The main bridge of the Nadesico shook dangerously under the pressure, with everyone holding on to something in order not to be knocked down, and a few screams of fear and anguish were heard from both the bridge crew and the refugees.

"Distortion Field holding. For now." Ruri stated flatly, her unflappable calm never wavering despite the impending danger. "We estimate we can take about 7 minutes of an attack of such magnitude before the Distortion Field is shorted out."

"That's just enough to take us to the Tulip..." Prospector said, after making a quick calculation. "Captain, please hurry it up! If the Distortion Field fails us..."

Yurika nodded seriously. "I know... that is why we are trying to get to that Tulip at top speed!" she answered. "We need to... strike a balance between speed and defence, and hope we can be fast enough to get to the Tulip!"

The flower-like dimensional passage was getting closer and closer... but the barrage of attacks from the Meganoid army was not letting up, and the Nadesico was getting rattled by the relentless assault. It was a moment of great tension, as everyone kept focused and trying to get the Nadesico to the designated point... or simply preying that everything was going to be okay.

Standing on the Nadesico's bridge, seemingly indifferent to the shaking, Inez Fressange looked at the operators with subdued interest, vaguely impressed by how they were all doing their best to get the ship, the crew and all the people they had rescued. Even though they knew they had little chance of surviving against the enemies they were up against, they were still doing their best and facing this challenge head-on, in an attempt to save as many people as possible. This juveile enthusiasm was quite irrational on their part, and Inez couldn't help but think they were being naive... and yet, there was something about their stubbornness and willingness to run risks to complete their mission that she thought admirable...

"This is quite a strange crew..." she mused to herself. "And now that they know the true form of the Jovian Lizards, I am curious to know how they will react. This will surely throw a wrench in Nergal's plans..."

**oooooooooo**

The Meganoids were redoubling their efforts to bring down the Distortion Field and disable the Nadesico, focusing all of their fire on the main bridge. With every shot, the Distortion Field budged just a little, but managed to hold as the battleship inched towards its destination... and the Tulip's metal petals were opening up just a little, the telltale glow of a dimensional gate filtering through them...

"They're getting to the Tulip!" Koros exclaimed. "Do whatever it takes to stop them. The Distortion Field is weakening!"

Again and again, the Meganoids unleashed all they had on the fleeing battleship, trying to take its protective field and its engines down before it was too late... but despite being severely strained by the multitude of attacks it was enduring, the Distortion Field continued to barely hold the assault. Before the Meganoids could beat down the space-time barrier, the Tulip opened up completely, and the dimensional passage began swallowing the Nadesico in a warm azure radiance! Slowly but surely, the battleship slipped inside the passage, and soon disappeared inside of it, leaving Mars and the baffled Meganoids behind! Then, the petals of the Tulip closed, barring the cyborgs from following through... but even if they could, they knew they were not able to survive the dimensional passage without using a Distortion Field themselves.

The Meganoids had managed to repel the invasion in their territory... but it was a phyrric victory indeed.

With a weary sigh, Koros shook her head as she recalled the Meganoid troops back. "There is nothing more to do here. We'll regroup and head back to headquarters. Give me an estimate of our losses as soon as possible." she ordered.

"Yes, Lady Koros..." a Meganoid soldier answered readily. The red-haired cyborg woman nodded, an hint of sadness making its way onto her normally cold, detached face.

"Don Zauser will not be happy about this..."

**oooooooooo**

As the Nadesico entered the dimensional flux, the pilots were still in their cockpits, deeply concentrated on Earth as the sounds all around themselves dimmed and were substituted by the dull rolling of the dimensional passage. All Akito and his friends could do was keep their eyes closed and focus as hard as they could, visualizing the Earth...

Akito managed to smile a little before a blinding light consumed his senses, and Fiona gave a thought to her friends, Lahge and Mitsuko, who were lost who knows where.

The Nadesico's mission on Mars had succeeded, and now everyone was getting to return to Earth...

**oooooooooo**

Meanwhile, in Nergal's main buildings, a conversation was taking place between two people who had a special interest in the Nadesico's mission... and the tone of one of them felt like she was not expecting something that had actually happened.

"Chairman..." a woman with pale skin and short black hair, her lips tinted ruby red and wearing an expensive and elegant business suit reported to a young man sitting at a desk in front of her. "We have gotten report that the Schiapparelli Project has seen completion. The Nadesico manged to rescue the Martian refugees and should be now on its way to Earth."

"Just as we expected, Erina." the man answered coolly, after placing some papers back in a folder. "This is the optimal outcome we had predicted for the Nadesico's mission. But... do my ears deceive me, or do you actually sound worried about something?"

The woman called Erina stood in silence for a shor while before answering. "We... have received some unsettling reports from our agents." she answered. "It seems that... the Nadesico crew have discovered the true identity of the Jovian Lizards. Or at least, they know that whatever we've fed the public in recent years was nothing but propaganda to fuel the flames of war." she answered, dreading her boss' answer.

However, much to her surprise and relief, the chairman of Nergal, one of the richest and most powerful men in the Earth Sphere, seemed to dismiss the whole thing, or at least not take it as badly as she feared. "Is that so?" he answered, a hint of a smile on a young face framed by shoulder-long dark brown hair. "Well then... it just means we'll have to make a few modifications, but the plan is still intact. If we play our cards well, we will not have to worry about the Nadesico crew spilling the beans. It's still their word against that of Nergal and the whole Earth Union, after all."

"Are you sure about this, Mr. Chairman?" Erina ventured. As soon as her boss nodded, the woman gave a small sigh and rubbed her forehead. "Well then... if you're confident, then we'll just wait for your dispositions... and in the meanwhile, I'll have to pull some strings in order for Nergal's reputation not to be damaged. We still need public support, after all."

"Good. See that you do." Nagare Akatsuki, the young chairman of Nergal Heavy Industries, answered coolly as he relaxed in his chair, idly playing with a pen. "Now, now, captain Misumaru... I must say you've gone beyond my expectations! I think this little escapade to Mars might be more fun than I anticipated..."

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	23. Captured

**SUPER ROBOT TAISEN S**

**Welcome back, everybody! As you can probably see, I'm trying to follow a new schedule in order to update this story, as well as my Pokemon stories, as quickly as possible, while balancing my everyday duties. I really hope this means faster updates for this story, whom I have grown really fond of and for which I have many ideas in mind... but let's not get ahead of ourselves, and let's see what the situation is, okay?**

**Last time, we left the Nadesico, along with Fiona and the Daitarn 3 crew, escaping from a battle with a dangerous Meganoid army and entering a Tulip, making a leap of faith that will hopefully bring them back to Earth. And they've managed to take with them Dr. Inez Fressange, the single greatest expert in the Boson Jump field, and a sizeable group of survivors from the raids of both the Jovian Lizards and the Meganoid Empire. However, with the discovery of a human pilot in a Jovian Gekigan-type robot, there will surely be some unforeseen developments, which the higher-ups at Nergal have not failed to predict. The Chairman of Nergal, Nagare Akatsuki, seems to already have a backup plan for this sort of emergencies...**

**But for now, we aren't following Fiona and the rest of the Nadesico crew. Rather, we are heading to Earth, in the exact same time period, to see what happened to Fiona's friends, Lahge and Mitsuko, who have been thrown through the exact same dimensional gate but have ended up in a very different part of the world... what has happened to them? Have they had the same good luck as Fiona, or did they end up in the wrong hands? Things will be revealed shortly... and along with them will also come the first appearences of a few well-loved (and not so well-loved) characters from several mecha anime! Therefore, keep your seat belts fastened, because we won't have to wait too long to get some more action!**

**With that said, enjoy the chapter... and if you want, leave me a review after that!**

**Happy reading!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 23 - Captured **

Everything had been black for Lahge Montoya, ever since the Nadesico-C had run into that mysterious, unbeatable foe on the blasted frozen lands of Mars. The last thing he remembered was seeing the Nadesico-C and its crew being slaughtered, and the vista in front of him becoming more and more nightmarish as the creature called Duminass began warping the landscape around him… and after that, all he could make out was the deafening roar of the Nadesico-C's engines going up in a gigantic fireball, and the screams all around him…

The thought occurred to him that he had lost track of the passage of time. Just how long had it been since he had lost consciousness? It could have been mere minutes, hours, days, or even months, as far as he knew… and what of Fiona, and Mitsuko? Were they still alive? What had happened to them? The young scientist painfully tried to shake himself back to reality, but his whole body felt sluggish, and he settled for slowly opening his eyes, slowly reaccustomizing himself to the light…

Good. So he was still able to see, and to perceive. That was a start, for once…

"Hmph. About time you woke up as well." An harsh male voice greeted him as soon as he began regaining consciousness. "You were starting to tick me off with those heavy sleeper habits of yours."

"Huh? What? What the..." Lahge murmured, before being roughly grabbed and forced to stand up by a pair of large, strong hands belonging to a scary-looking man of color wearing a beige sleeveless military uniform that bore golden trimmings on its neck, closely resembling the golden eagle symbol adopted by the old Pricipality of Zeon! The man had short, slightly curly black hair and a short, matching goatee, and was also wearing a pair of arm-guards with brown fingerless gloves, and a short, rather worn-out cape on his shoulders, other than a pair of beige jeans and a pair of dark brown boots... and from his first moments of knowing him, Lahge already got the idea that this man was a tough one to deal with!

"You've been unconscious for a few hours, you know! Just be thankful we need you alive, or I wouldn't have wasted my time keeping a watch on a waste like you!" the man roughly threatened him. "Now, join your little friend in the other room, and get to work!"

"Hey, hold on a second!" Lahge tried to protest and get free, bu the man was too strong for him and all but dragged the young researcher to a nearby room, where Lahge was thrown in like so much garbage, almost ending up face down on the floor had it not been for a familiar red-haired figure that caught him just in time!

"Lahge! Thank God you're okay... are you hurt?" Mitsuko's worried voice came to the still-dazed young man, who adjusted his looking-glasses and raised his glance at her.

"Oh... it's you, Mitsuko..." he murmured groggily. "What... what's going on here? Where are we? And... where's Fiona, by the way?"

Mitsuko was about to answer, or at least make an attempt to answer... but the large man of color who had dragged Lahge to the room clapped his hands, ordering them to focus their attention on him. "Enough of this! You were not brought here for idle chatter! And let's lay down the rules, just for a start!" he almost bellowed. "My name is Rakan Dakaran, and I'm an officer of the Neo Zeon army. That's Sergeant Rakan Dakaran to you! Not that you'll ever need to address me, of course... since from now on, you'll be doing nothing but repairs to that piece of scrap metal we found along with you!"

Lahge frowned as he heard the last part of Rakan's sentence. So, after Duminass' attack, they had ended up somewhere along with the Excellence? And if so... where was Fiona now?

"He's talking about the Excellence's Cosmo Driver frame..." Mitsuko clarified. "It seems that it was brought along with us during all that commition... these guys were unable to find either Fiona or the Excellence Striker!"

"I said no chatter!" Rakan immediately called them out. "It is obvious that you two know more about that strange machine that we found along with you... therefore, your duty from now on will be to repair it and make it into a functional war machine for us of Neo Zeon."

Lahge blinked at the mention of Neo Zeon - he was convinced that Amuro Ray, Kira Yamato and the others from terminal had managed to stop Axis from plummeting on Earth, and that after such a defeat, Neo Zeon would have made itself scarce. And yet, there he was in what looked like a Neo Zeon base that was still active and working! The whole thing didn't make much sense to him...

"We have brought your machine to the hangars. Get working on it and make it operational as soon as possible!" Rakan ordered, cutting Lahge's reflections short. "And before you even think of escaping, know that this base is surrounded by armed guards, and our Mobile Suits woud catch up to you in a second. Know where you are... and play your cards right. And maybe you'll have a chance of telling about all of this to your sons and daughters."

With that, the dark-skinned brute turned and marched away, letting the door slide shut behind him, and leaving Lahge and Mitsuko alone in the room. The female researcher gently pulled her colleague by the arm, in order to encourage him to go with her. "We need to obey that guy's orders for now..." she suggested. "At least until we can get a better deal... and know that we aren't alone in this. These guys already have some prisoners with them..."

"Hold... hold on a second, Mitsuko." Lahge said, adjusting his glasses as he regained his self-control. "Just what is going on here? Why are we in a Neo Zeon base, and where have the Excellence and Fiona gone?"

Mitsuko sighed. Time to let the cat out of the bag... "Well, Lahge... just for starters, do you know what year is this?" she asked.

"Huh? Why, this is Space Century 141, why do you ask me that?" Lahge asked, starting to fear that his friend had lost a few marbles for some reason... He actually began feeling fear when Mitsuko shook her head and corrected him.

"Sorry, Lahge... this is actually Space Century 138." Mitsuko answered. "The Excellence's Time Particle Engine going haywire after Duminass' attack has somehow thrown us three in the past, back when the war between Earth and the Jovian Lizards was still going... and when Char's Neo Zeon had yet to rise!"

Lahge felt the color drain from his face. "Wh... what? How... how was that possible?" he stammered breathlessly, struggling to regain his bearings. "This... this was not predicted at all! According to what we know about Time Particles and the like... it shouldn't be possible for them to cause the flow of time to invert so easily! That would take... an enormous amount of energy being channeled directly into the Time Shift Engine!" he said, then appeared to think about it and added something. "And... by the way, since we've really gone back in time... you mean that the Neo Zeon movement we've been captured by... is the first Neo Zeon uprising?"

"Yeah, that one... the one led by a woman named Haman Kahn." she answered. "It appears they're looking for capable soldiers with which to create a powerful army in their bid to control the Earth Sphere... but going back to your first question, yes, it shouldn't be possible, according to our calculations... but bear in mind that even the attack on the moon base shouldn't have been possible by our estimations! Somehow, that creature called Duminass managed to circumvent all our firewalls and attack our systems... there is something about that guy that defies any explanation we might come up with, and somehow, it can do things we deem impossible."

"It also wants the Time Shift Engine for some reason... and it was speaking of mistakes..." Lahge said, as the two of them approached the hangars and entered, finding the immobile Cosmodriver frame lying in front of them, held by heavy steel constraints. There were several dents on the sides of the purple machine, obviously signs of the beating it had taken during the dimensional travel, but for the most part, it seemed to be doing alright. There were a few more Mobile Suits in the hangar, which the two engineers recognized as models belonging to the first Neo Zeon uprising... howeer, there were also a few ZAFT and Titans suits among those and they wondered what was up with that...

"Guess we'll have to wait for the answers to come..." Lahge said with a resigned sigh. "For now, if we want to stay alive, we'll need to make ourselves useful, so... let's get to work, shall we?"

Mitsuko blinked as she saw her friend walking towards the immobile Cosmodriver frame. "Er... Lahge, you are aware that, even if we were to upgrade the Excellence Cosmodriver and make it so these guys could pilot it... there would still be no way they'll let us go? The Neo Zeon found what they believe to be a powerful weapon, and the only two people who know enough about it to be able to work on it... and they sure aren't going to miss this opportunity."

"I am aware of that..." Lahge answered, barely raising his voice above what was necessary. "But even so, we need to think of surviving for now, and of how to get ourselves out of trouble as soon as we can distract these guys long enough. For now... we really don't have much of a choice, do we?"

Seeing that Mitsuko was still rather unconvinced, Lahge went on. "Furthermore... these guys do not know the Excellence well enough to understand what we're doing with it." he explained. "With this, we can buy some time... make them think we are doing some important and very delicate operations that will require time. This way, we will be able to throw them off, at least for a while... and we might be able to gather some informations about Fiona's fate too!"

"Well... what you're saying is true, in fact..." Mitsuko answered, seeing her friend's point. "But... what's going to happen when we can't use that as an excuse anymore? We're going to be in trouble when that happens!"

"Let's cross our bridges when we get to them, Mitsuko..." Lahge said with a small sigh. "For now, this is the best we can do, under the circumstances."

**oooooooooo**

Meanwhile, in another part of the Neo Zeon base, another prisoner was at the moment sitting in his own cell, sullenly thinking about what had happened in the latest days. Amuro Ray, former Earth Federation ace pilot who had earned himself the moniker of "White Devil" after piloting the RX-78 Gundam in the One Year War, was now nothing more than a prisoner of the successors to the same tyrannical regime he had helped overthrow, and needless to say, he was not happy at all about his situation.

Sure, not that his living conditions were much to write home about, previously... after the One Year War, the White Base ace had been placed under house arrest because of the Earth Federation's mistrust of Newtypes, and while he did enjoy life in a luxurious mansion that had been paid by his abundant war pension, he was pretty much a prisoner in his own home, and even his servants were actually government agents that had been assigned to keep track of his movement every hour of the day. Life had carried on like that for seven long years, until the Gryps Conflict against the Titans, where his good friend Frau Bow and several members of the AEUG had managed to speak with him and re-ignite his fighting spirit, earning themselves a stalward ally in their struggle... at least, until the ace pilot had mysteriously disappeared just before the deciding battle.

And now, there he was, sitting in a narrow cell and waiting for whatever his captors were going to do with him...

His extremely keen Newtype senses picked up someone about to approach him, and the curly-haired young man, wo had turned 23 no more than a couple months before, raised his glance to see who was it... and, just as he expected, he saw Rakan Dakaran slowly walking towards him, a look of grim satisfaction painted across his threatening face. Amuro stood in silence as the scary man of color approached his cell and glared back at him...

"Well? What's with the evil eye you're givin' me, Amuro Ray?" Rakan grunted in annoyance, once again receiving no comeback from the younger man. "You should be happy to know that the two people we've captured are alive and well, and they've already started working on that strange machine we found along with them. We've earned ourselves a nice new weapon!"

"And you really think those people will be happy to work for you, Rakan?" Amuro answered, still glaring daggers at the taller man.

The smile disappeared from the Neo Zeon officer's face. "Those people won't work for me, as a matter of fact." he answered. "They will work for Lady Haman, Lord Dekim and our alllies from both ZAFT and Giganos. And this is something you'll have to deal with as well, Amuro Ray. You should have seen with your own eyes how the Earth Union is weak and corrupt. They allow people like Blue Cosmos to do whatever they want, and they are still ineffective in stopping the attacks from all those alien factions that are now threatening the Earth! Last time I heard of them, their forces have suffered a disastrous defeat at the hands of the Brahmins... do we need any more proof to say that this whole system must be taken down and replaced with a new one?"

"So you're going to exchange a tyranny with another one?" Amuro fired back. "Because that's exactly what it sounds like. Sure, you might pretend that you care about the current state of affairs, and I can even believe that your Lady Haman does, in fact, have some motives beyond mere lust for power... but I still cannot accept that you're trying to take over the Earth Sphere for your so-called new order to work."

"Hmph." Rakan snorted nastily. "You can say whatever you want, words will have no effect on Lady Haman's resolve. As soon as that new machine is operative, we will desert this base and depart to Hokkaido, where we'll rendez-vous with the rest of the troops. You'd better be ready for that, I'm not going to put up with slacking or underperforming. I hope that's clear enough."

Amuro said nothing as he kept staring at Rakan impassively... and after a few seconds, the large ma of color turned away and began walking out of the room, leaving a silent Amuro behind to wallow in silent anger. Rakan entered a corridor and followed it for a while, before approaching another automatic door and getting close to it, stepping into the room beyond as soon as the entrance slid open.

The atmosphere he was greeted with was not exactly what one would call warm - the new room he had stepped into looked like some sort of war room, with several monitors lit up on a terminal in the farthest part of it, and a table placed in the middle of it, around which several other men and women bearing the Neo Zeon uniform could be seen... and indeed, it would have been a surprise to see several of them seated there, patiently waiting for an high-ranking Neo Zeon officer to come.

"Very well... I can see that everyone is here." Rakan said, glaring at the gathered officers. "That's good, I like it when people are on time. Looks like you are getting the hang of it."

With an uncaring shrug, a tall young man in his mid-twenties, with blond hair done in an Elvis-like hairdo, and a cocky expression upon his handsome face, stood up and saluted, as did the others who were with him. It was obvious that he wanted to be everywhere else but there, at that particular moment.

"We kind of need to, since we're pretty much all stranded here with you guys..." he murmured in a low voice, earning himself a small nudge of warning from his closest comrade, a beautiful girl around his same age with long, straight emerald green hair and full ruby lips.

"Jerid, please..." she whispered to him, which caused the blond man to clear his throat and stand up to attention. Rakan gave both of them a meaningful glare in order to warn them against lack of discipline, then began explaining the current situation.

"At the moment, the two prisoners we have taken in have begun working on the unidentified machine. I have made sure that they are kept under constant observation, and they do not have contact with Amuro Ray." the Neo Zeon officer began. "I cannot give an estimate about how long it will take for them to complete their assignment, though, so I want you to be warned - we have received word that the remaining Karaba forces might have discovered this base, and while their relatively small numbers should cause no concern to us, we did hear that they are counting on the aid of several research laboratiories and independent factions. We must be ready for an attack at any moment."

There was a nasty-sounding chuckle as a third man, a scary looking blond man about a few years older than Jerid, with unruly blond hair, a slight tan and beady black eyes, spoke up for the first time. "Hehehee... sounds like those wimps from Karaba are starting to get uppity, aren't they?" he sneered. "Well, I'm sure not going to mind if they show their faces here. I was just itching for a chance to blow off some steam!"

The fourth member of the group, a pretty pink-haired girl of no more than 16, with a pair of short pigtails at the sides of her head, and bright green eyes, frowned and backed away slightly in disgust from the man who had just spoken, while Jerid let out a tired sigh. "Whatever you say, Yazan... I sure wish Kamille was among them! I have a score to settle with that little punk, and I can't wait for my chance!"

Yazan Gable, one of the most feared men among the Titans, laughed mockingly at that. "Oh, looks like our little prince Jerid here still had a little pain in his ass from all the kicking Kamille has given him!" he sneered. "You really sure you can take him? You haven't had the most stellar record, if I recall correctly!"

"Enough of your squabbling!" Rakan exclaimed, slamming his hand on the table and ending the discussion before the two could come to blows. "Remember that we still haven't completed our main objective for our stay on Earth! We may have captured Amuro Ray and gotten ahold of Four Murasame as well, but Kamille Bidan is still lost to us, and we cannot afford to let him get away! Therefore, I need all of you to be prepared."

"Yeah, yeah..." Yazan said in an uncaring tone. "As long as my Hambrabi is in good condition, you can bet that nobody will give me trouble!"

"We are all ready and willing to obey your orders, Sergeant Mayor Rakan Dakaran..." the pink-haired teenager said, keeping a cold, distant tone of voice. It was clear that she, too, would have rather been anywhere but there, taking orders from a man she did not respect.

Rakan nodded at her. "That's good. Up until now, your piloting skills have not disappointed us, Petty Officer Sarah Zabiarov. See to it that you live up to your reputation. Of course, the same thing goes for you as well! Stay on alert, and be ready to intervene should an alarm be raised. You are dismissed for now."

One could almost feel the relief coming from the officers as they were allowed to go. They saluted again, and all went on their way, eager to get out of that room as soon as they could - all but Yazan, who simply smirked uncaringly and went on his way towards the hangars, probably to check his own Mobile Suit. The pink-haired girl named Sarah Zabiarov followed him, but went a different way as soon as she could, repulsed by the blood-crazed Titan officer... while Jerid and the emerald-haired woman went the opposite direction and into a log corridor, with the blond young man finally able to express his frustration over the latest developments.

"Dammit... this is the pits!" Jerid muttered fiercely. "If only we weren't here because of orders from above and a sick twist of fate, we would have been back in the Earth Union's ranks now, not being plan of some Newtype bitch's hare-brained plan!"

The emerald haired woman, Jerid's teammate and lover Mouar Pharaoh, was known as the rational half of the couple, and she was always ready to rein Jerid in whenever his impulsiveness threatened to overcome his common sense... but she had to admit that she couldn't exactly blame him for being so angry. Life had taken a turn for the bizzarre the moment the Titans had been defeated at the end of the Gryps Conflict, and the deaths of both Supreme Commander Jamitov Hymem and Captain Bask Om had thrown the whole organization in disarray... it truly was ironic that now, only a few months after that conflict had ended, they were there, fighting alongside one of the factions they had long opposed.

"As they say, war makes some strange bedfellows at times..." Mouar answered. "But let me ask you a question, Jerid... if you are that dissatisfied with how things are going, you can always call it quits and be on your way. Why haven't you done that yet?"

"One day, I will be the one to rebuild the Titans!" the blond jet-jockey pilot readily answered. "I will make them come back to life stronger than ever, and I'll be the one running the show as well! I'm definitely not going to be a grunt for the rest of my life... and for that to succeed, not only do I need to defeat that Kamille punk once and for all, but I also need to go along with whatever idiotic plan the higher-ups have cooked up! Which means aiding Neo Zeon, if that's what it takes!" He stopped for a moment, possibly realizing that he had been more forceful than he probably intended, then looked away slightly and went on in a softer voice. "What about you, then? You don't have to risk your neck for me, and you know that. So, I guess I can turn your own question back on you: why haven't you called it quits yet?"

Mouar smiled gently as she put her hand on Jerid's shoulder. "Why, Jerid, I thought you knew me better than that!" she answered. "I told you, I'm going to help you wherever you're going, and whatever you decide to do. If I wanted to bail out, I'd have already done so, but then I wouldn't be much of a devoted girlfriend, would I?"

The blond man blushed slightly at that, and gently placed his hand over Mouar's, looking at her straight in the eyes. "Thank you, Mouar. That really means a lot to me." he answered, before the two inched closer and kissed each other on the lips, getting away, even for just a moment, from the messed-up reality they had been forced to live in for a while now.

They both separated after a few moments, and looked at each other for a while before getting back to their everyday chores. "Fine, then... I suppose we can take a few moments to check our Mobile Suits and make sure we're ready for a sortie." Jerid proposed. Mouar nodded in assent, before the two went their separate ways and returned to their barracks...

**oooooooooo**

Sarah Zabiarov let out a small sigh of relief as she sat at her desk, in the barracks that had been reserved for her, and after making sure there was nothing suspicious in the proximities, she opened up a small laptop that was placed on the table right in front of her, activating it and waiting for the screen to light up. As soon as the small computer was operational, the pink-haired Newtype opened up what seemed to be a communication line, patiently but also anxiously waiting for it to start.

She didn't have to wait for long. The screen came to life a few seconds later, and a window appeared upon it, showing the face of the man Sarah answered to - a fellow of striking, mysterious looks, with an almost magnetic aura hovering around himself. He was dressed in a customized white uniform that looked like the one worn by high-ranking Titans officers, and his shoulder-long purple hair was held in place by a black circlet jus above his forehead. Cold, piercing, almost hypnotic blue eyes looked almost too fitting in a serene, handsome face that made him look even younger than his twenty-six years of age, and the black and golden trimmings his uniform was decorated with did nothing but contribute to giving him a charming, almost glorious appearence. However, there was something threatening and devious about him - the telltale glint of cunning and treachery in his eyes was, to anyone who knew who they were dealing with, a dead giveaway to his manipulative ways.

However, Sarah did not seem to mind in the least. Hoping the blush on her face wasn't too evident, she sat up and saluted formally. "Petty Officer Sarah Zabiarov... reporting in for duty, Lord Paptimus." she said, her voice trembling a little from emotion. "I... have opened this channel to you in order to inform you about the latest developments."

Paptimus Scirocco, one of the most brilliant minds in the Gryps War, smiled thinly as he motioned for his loyal subordinate to sit down, which the girl did without any hesitation. "_At ease, Sarah._" he answered, his voice still suave and alluring even when it was scrambled by the comm channel. "_So, it seems you have some important news to tell me. Very well, I am listening._"

Sarah cleared her voice. "Well... it was unexpected, to say the least, but our outpost in central Japan has gotten ahold of a mysterious mobile weapon. It does look like a Mobile Suit, but it has no cockpit or any other obvious piloting device, which leads us to think that it might simply be a weapon system that has been developed for use on a pre-existing model. We have captured a couple of techs who should be able to tell us more about this mysterious weapon, which they have codenamed Excellence. As of now, Sgt. Rakan Dakaran has placed them to work at making the Excellence operative for our use. However, we have no idea how much time that will take."

Scirocco nodded, intrigued by the news. "_I see. That might be an unexpected opportunity for us._" he calmly stated. "_As of now, we need all the possible advantages we can find, before we make our move. And this... Excellence you speak of might be a very precious discovery. Do you also happen to know where this strange weapon comes from, or who manufactured it?_"

"Sadly, this is unknown as well." Sarah answered, slightly bowing her head. "We will look into it as soon as we can, in any event."

"_I understand._" the Man From Jupiter, as Scirocco was also known as, answered. "_Well, that is fine for now. I will personally look into this and try to get to know more about this new weapon. More to the point, I heard that our other outposts on Earth are well on their way to get Four Murasame under control, and you already have Amuro Ray in your custody._"

"That is correct, Lord Paptimus." the pink-haired Newtype answered. "At the moment, we are trying to locate Kamille Bidan as well, and we should be able to do so in short notice."

Sarah did perceive a slight budge in Scirocco's stoic expression, but it lasted all of one second before he was back to normal. "_This is satisfying then. I will keep in touch in order to assess the situation, but for now, I have other pressing matters to attend to. I dare say there is some... dissent in the rank of both Giganos and Neo Zeon, and ZAFT itself isn't as united as they would have us believe._"

"I... see, Lord Paptimus." Sarah hesitatingly answered. She didn't really know what was going on with their supposed allies, but she knew for a fact that her superior had things under control. "In that case... I suppose I have nothing more to report."

Scirocco nodded. "_Nevertheless, I am satisfied for now._" he stated, still wearing that thin, tracherous smile of his. "_You have done remarkably until now, Sarah. Keep up the good work._"

With that, Scirocco's image flickered and disappeared from Sarah's screen, ending the conversation. Nodding to herself, the young Newtype turned the laptop off and closed it, before reordering her things and sitting down. She thought she might as well take a short break, at least until she was required once again...

If there was one thing she had to agree with her teammate Jerid on, it was the fact that things had gotten pretty weird after the end of the Gryps Wars... but that was not going to deter her from doing her duty. After all, she knew Lord Paptimus still had things under control, and that patience would finally pay off. It was just a matter of waiting for the right time...

**oooooooooo**

"Hmm, I see..." Lahge commented as he looked at several diagrams on the computer the Neo Zeon soldiers had left for him to work on. "So, as of now, Neo Zeon are allied with the Lunar Empire of Giganos and with ZAFT, huh? That sounds rather weird of them... after all, if I recall correctly, Neo Zeon was always about Newtype superiority, wasn't it?"

"Well, to be correct, Neo Zeon employs several Oldtypes as well in their ranks." Mitsuko explained as she looked up some mechanical designs. "So, it's not all that improbable for them to be allied with people who are mostly Oldtypes. And that Rakan guy didn't exactly strike me as Newtype material, if you catch my meaning... it's just that they don't allow for their prejudices to get in the way of a potentially advantageous alliance."

"Yeah, I see your point." Lahge answered. "So... in other words, now we've been dropped on Earth just before Dekim Barton did his coup, and the Earth Sphere is still being ruled by the Earth Union, am I right? With all the invaders coming from other planets and such..."

"Yep, that's pretty much it." was Mitsuko's answered. The girl sighed and cast her eyes downwards, obviously thinking that disaster could strike anytime now. From what she knew, Dekim's takeover of the Earth Sphere hadn't exactly been a glorious day for humanity. She and her friends had been locked up in the Lunar base for a long time, but they did hear rumours about Coordinator purges, violent takeovers, rigged trials and summary executions of political adversaries... it was a large part of the reason why the future she and her friends had come from had gone into the gutter. However, just as pressing was the worry about what had happened to Fiona... she was fairly sure her friend had been sent to the same time period they were in now, but they had no clue as to where exactly she was and what her conditions were. She could only hope things would turn out for the best for her as well.

Lahge rubbed his forehead. "You know, there is another thing that worries me about this whole mess." he stated, causing Mitsuko to blink in confusion.

"Another thing?" she asked meekly. "And what's that?"

"Well, that Duminass thing, as you just said, was certainly no normal creature..." Lahge stated. "And we already know that it is after the Time Shift Engine, for reasons that still elude us. My fear is that he somehow managed to travel back in time as well, meaning that we might still have to contend with it... and considering how well it went last time, well... suffice to say, I'm not exactly happy at the idea!"

"Hmm..." Mitsuko thought out loud. "I'm not sure about it... if that thing could actually travel through time, why would it need the Time Shift Engine? I find it... rather contradicting, unless there is something about Time Shift technology we don't know ourselves..."

Lahge sighed, understanding that this was not the right time to think of such a problem. "I know, I know... it's just that I'm a little on edge, with all that's happened recently..."

"We all do... I still feel very awkward at the idea that we have travelled three years back in time!" Mitsuko stated, as she went back to work. "But I'm afraid these problems will have to wait for later... for when, or rather if, we manage to get out of this..."

Lahge nodded grimly, feeling the eyes of several Neo Zeon guards all affixed upon him...

**oooooooooo**

Just a few minutes later, on board the gigantic private battleship Gandor, a few preparatives were being made...

"We have reached the proximities of the Neo Zeon base. We are just out of their radars' range at the moment." a middle-aged man in an elegant blue suit, with greying hair, looking glasses and a stern expression on his face said as he looked at the screens on his console. On one side, there was a rough electronic map showing the surroundings, while on the other, a list of names was scrolling down. "Are all the pilots ready?"

"Affirmative, Dr. Hazuki." one of the bridge crew answered. "Pilot Fujiwara and the rest of the Jyu Senki Tai have given us their confirmation, as have Pilot Kabuto, Pilot Yumi, Pilot Kobayashi and Pilot Mass."

"That's good. Please open a channel to all of them. I have yet to give them the final instructions for this operation." Dr. Hazuki answered as he leaned back in his chair. Soon enough, several windows popped up in front of him, each one showing the face of one of the large battleship's operative pilots - namely, the famed Jyu Senki Tai, better known as Cyber Beast Force, composed of the hot-blooded Shinobu Fujiwara, the fiery redheaded Sara Yuuki, the stoic martial artist Ryo Shiba and the young, spunky-lookin Masato Shikibu. Along with them were a few familiar faces: Kouji Kabuto, the young pilot of Maznger Z, and his teammate Sayaka Yumi, pilot of the Aphrodite A; as well as a young boy, not much older than 15 by the looks of him, with messy brown hair, a rather rotund figure and a few freckles sprayed on his face... and a beautiful young woman with straight, shoulder-long blond hair and piercing blue eyes. he latter two were wearing what semed to be the AEUG's custom piloting suit, and already wore their helmets, showing that they were ready to depart at a moment's notice.

"Attention to all pilots. We have reached the proximities of the Neo Zeon base we were sent to storm." Dr. Hazuki told the pilots. All of them nodded, paying attention to what their commander had to say. "We wil now deploy to break in and liberate Amuro Ray and other hostages that might possibly have been brought there. However, we cannot launch a straight-up assault. We need to split in two teams, and take the enemy on two sides."

Shinbu Fujiwara, an handsome and hot-headed young man with rather long dark blue hair, wearing a brown coat over a red shirt, white trousers and black shoes, sighed impatiently as he tapped his finger on his console. "Hmph... alright, we will do that. I still say it would be faster and easier to just barge through and overtake the base, though." he commented, finding it rather hard to reign in his fighting spirit.

"Yeah, great way to get us killed, Shinobu." Sara Yuuki answered sarcastically. The only woman in the Cyber Beast Force, Sara was a striking beauty with long red hair decorated by a tuft of pinkish white on her forehead, and she was wearing black trousers and shoes along with a coat similar to Shinobu's. "Next time I want to end the mission as a complete disaster, I'm going to ask for your advice."

Shinobu shot her a nasty glare. "Nobody asked you, Sara!" he growled at her, to which Sara simply hmmphed and turned her had away... much to young Masato's embarassment! The chestnut-haired young boy, the heir to a wealthy family tat had fallen out with his father after discovering some of his more shady dealings, rubbed the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly as he listened to his two comrades' quarrel.

"Here they go again, bickering like an old married couple..." he stated with a slight smirk.

Ryo Shiba, the oldest and most experienced pilot of the team at 28 years of age, cleared his voice in order to gain Shinobu and Sara's attention. Ryo was quite an imposing figure, dressed very much like Shinobu, Sara and Masato, and yet looking a lot taller and stronger than them, and he had a blue headband tied around his forehead like a martial artist's band. "When you're done with your lttle spats, you two, you might want to listen to Professor Hazuki." he calmly yet firmly admonished his less disciplined teammates. "We haven't brought along the Photon power Lab pilos and reinforcements from Karaba because it was going to be an easy rescue, you know that."

"Yeah, yeah... this is like the hundredth time you've told me that, Ryo." Shinobu muttered darkly. It was no secret that Shinobu and Ryo weren't always on the best of terms, and Shinobu's bullheaded approach to any kind of challenge was rather grating to the calm, professional Ryo. Still, on the battlefield, one would have been hard pressed to find better teammates, and that was one of the reasons why the Cyber Beast Force was a group to be reckoned with.

"So, we're ready, professor Hazuki!" Kouji said from Mazinger Z's cockpit, sporting one of his trademark grins, as he used to do whenever he felt he was going into a battle that would be easily won. "Just tell us what's the plan, and we'll be glad to follow your instructions!"

"Fine." Hazuki commented. "Kouji, you will deploy first, and will go for a direct attack at the Neo Zeon base. Sayaka, you and your Aphrodite A will have to support Kouji from behind, with Shinobu attacking from above with the Eagle Fighter."

"Will do." Sayaka and Shinobu answered at the same time.

"Sara, Masato, Ryo, Katz and Sayla will move on the sides of the base and attack when the enemy's defenses have been throw in disarray." Hazuki went on. "However, take care: we have very good reason to suspect that Neo Zeon keeps their prisoners close to what will become the combat zone. Take care to keep destruction of premises to a minimum in order not to needlessly endanger their lives. Private Kobayashi, that goes mainly for you. Do not let the enemy get to you - limit yourself to docking with Private Mass' Gundam Mk-2."

"Okay, sir... I'll remember that!" Katz Kobayashi, former member of the Argama crew and pilot of the supporting machine known as G-Defenser, answered somewhat sheepishly. Everyone was well aware of how reckless the young pilot could be, especially when it came to a certain Titan pilot...

In the cockpit of a Gundam Mk-2 standing in the Gandor's hangar, Sayla Mass frowned as she prepared herself for what was to come. How ironic, that she'd end up once again at the commands of a Mobile Suit so many years after the One Year War, and to rescue one of her own crewmates in the White Base, no less. She briefly wondered what her brother would have thought about the whole Neo Zeon business - and, for that matter, where he was in the first place. However, she knew this was neither the time nor the place to get distracted - she and her crewmates were up against some of the best Neo Zeon could offer, and any faltering would have been fatal. "Just try to stay close to me, Katz, and dock with me as soon as I request it." she instructed Katz. "In any event, don't stray too far away. You know your G-Defenser would not be able to hold its own against the newer Neo Zeon models."

"The operation will begin soon." Hazuki warned. "All pilots, please take your positions and get ready to enter the battlefield..."

**oooooooooo**

A few moments later...

A sudden explosion surprised Lahge and Mitsuko as they were working at the Excellence-C pack, causing both young researchers to jump about a foot in the air and suddenly turn in the direction the blast had come from... and see a couple of Neo Zeon Mobile Suit rise from the hangars and advance towards that very same direction! Soon after, more Mobile Suits followed, as the deafening noise of battle grew louder and louder... and there was a roar of engines as a strange fighter plane, looking like a huge mechanical eagle, swept down upon the base, firing a hail of bullets from a pair of wing-mounted machine guns! It then turned away, executing a spectacular midair maneuver and getting away from the enemy's counterattack... while a pair of yellow beams of energy struck another Mobile Suit, blowing off its right arm at the shoulder!

"Ah! What... What's going on here?" Mitsuko exclaimed, almost dropping the laptop she was holding and stepping back in an attempt to find shelter. Just then, several more Mobile Suits took arms, and a penetrating sound of alarm resonated throughout the base, a telltale sign that something serious was going down!

"I... I have no idea..." Lahge answered. "But it seems somebody is not happy with Neo Zeon being here!"

**oooooooooo**

In his cell, Amuro Ray raised his head as his Newtype sensed picked up two familiar presences. "Huh? What's this? Sayla... and Katz... and there are more!"

**oooooooooo**

"**Rocket Punch!**" Mazinger Z's right fist flew at an approaching Dreissen, striking it in the chest and causing the Mobile Suit to fall over, electrical spark spraying out of the cracks made in its armor. Some distance behind him, Sayaka was hanging back, trying to draw some fire to herself and to withstand the attack as well as she could.

"Feh, these guys are pansies! I wonder when they will send out the big guns!" Kouji said, observing with some satisfaction as Shinobu's Eagle Fighter spun around, dodging enemy fire and returning a machine gun volley of its own. Sayaka grit her teeth as she guarded against some bullets fired by another Dreissen, which made a few dents on the Aphrodite A's alloy, luckily failing to inflict real damage.

"Hey, don't get cocky, Kouji! They might do that earlier than you think!" Sayaka warned him. "I just hope Sayla and the others will be in position when that happens..."

"The Land Cougar, the Big Moth and the Land Liger should be getting in position as we speak." Shinobu answered, nimbly getting his Eagle Fighter away from a stout yellow Mobile Suit with missile launchers on its sides - a Zussa, if memory served him. "Meanwhile, we'll take down as many of these chumps as possible!"

"Now that's what I like to hear!" Kouji answered. "Bring it on, Neo Zeon suckers! I can take you all!"

Mazinger Z and the Eagle Fighter resumed their assault in earnest, forcing back the Neo Zeon defenders...

**oooooooooo**

"Sara, this is Sayla. We have gotten in position, and await for the signal." Sayla Mass said to the redheaded member of the Cyber Beast Force, as the two teams positioned themselves on the sides of the Neo Zeon base, where they could easily watch the battle taking place.

"Acknowledge, Sayla. Masato, Ryo and I are already in position as well. Just wait for professor Hazuki to give us the order, and we'll descend upon the enemy." Sara answered. Her Land Cougar was crouching low among a group of trees, from which she had a good visual of the battle, and Masato's Land Liger, along with Ryo's elephant-like Big Moth were in position as well.

She just hoped that fool Shinobu wouldn't get shot down before everything was ready...

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Author's Note: And so, the Dancougar team enters the fray, as well as the "ever-beloved" Katz and the much more beloved Sayla Mass! Yeah, I know, it's a bit of a surprise, but rest assured it will be explained later on! And as you can see, there are quite a few former Titans around, along with everybody's favourite lavender-haired manipulator, Paptimus Scirocco! What devious plans does he have in mind, this time? And how will the batle with the Neo Zeon forces go? Stay tuned, for the next chapter won't be long in coming! See ya! **


	24. Assault on Neo Zeon

**Super Robot Taisen S**

**oooooooooo**

**Hello, everyone! This story is back yet again! And I'm just getting in the thick of it, as several well-known heroes from old school mecha anime are throwing themselves into a daring rescue - the crew of the Gandor, led by Professor Hazuki, and counting the Cyber Beast Force, the Mazinger team, and a few known names from the Gundam saga, is now trying to rescue Amuro Ray, Lahge and Mitsuko from the clutches of Neo Zeon! Of course, it won't exactly be easy, especially if we think that Neo Zeon has the aid of several former members of the Titans, among them the ever-dreaded Yazan Gable! It seems the heroes will have an uphill battle ahead of them, especially when we think that Neo Zeon and the former Titans might not be the only opponents they'll end up facing! But let's not give away too many things at once, okay? You'll just have to read the chapter and find out! While at the same time hoping I get past my writer's block so I can continue writing the prequel Super Robot Taisen S Zero... well, I just hope I can get to do it soon!**

**For now, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Of course, if you could also leave a review when you're done reading, I would be very grateful!**

**Thank you... and happy reading!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 24 - Assault to Neo Zeon**

A deafening explosion rocked the hangar in which Lahge and Mitsuko were, and the two young researchers tried to back up to a corner in order, where they huddled in a frantic attempt to protect each other. From their position, they could see, even though it was hard to do so, several Neo Zeon Mobile Suits heading out to face whoever was trying to attack the main base. The noise from the battle was deafening, and they hoped that, at least, the attackers were going to pay attention to the fact that there were hostages inside...

"Aaaaah!" Mitsuko screamed in fear as a blast landed too close to their hangar for her own tastes. "Damn... this is getting a little too close for me! Who could these guys be?"

"I'm not sure about it..." Lahge commented, keeping his cool even in such a tight situation. "However... I believe we can thank the Karaba for this. Looks like the anti-Titans resistance still has a reason to be..."

"You mean, that resistance movement that was hiding in several wild parts of Earth during the war with the Titans? Well... in fact, we did reach the period in time right after the end of that particular conflict..." Mitsuko said, now getting her fear a little more under control. "But I have no idea what kind of people they might be or how they might react to us. Definitely better than the other option, though."

"I agree with that." Lahge agreed, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "And by the way... if Karaba, or whoever these guys are, are attacking this place, that probably means Neo Zeon has got soething important the resistance wants... I know it's a bit of a long shot, but if we were to find out what it is, we could seize the occasion to join them and get out of this mess! Possibly, by taking the Cosmo Driver Frame along with us."

"Well..." Mitsuko seemed to think about that for a moment, then convinced herself that, in fact, Lahge's idea was the best chance they had to free themselves from Neo Zeon. "Okay then... whatever it takes not to let the Excellence-C fall into the wrong ends! Do you have an idea where we could start looking, Lahge?"

"Well... I think I do! After all, the place we were taken to must have been pretty close to the cell block! And that Rakan guy seemed to be eager to see a particular prisoner, so... let's try our luck there, okay?" Lahge proposed. "After all, it's not like things can go much worse than they already are..."

Lahge grabbed Mitsuko's hand and made a run for it, hoping to at least get away from the fighting...

**oooooooooo**

And in fact, on the outside, Neo Zeon's Mobile suits were making quite an impressive stand against Mazinger Z and the Eagle Fighter piloted by Shinobu. In spite of the former's bulk and the latter's agility, the group of Zussa and Dreisssen Mobile Suit was putting up an impressive resistance, standing in a defensive formation right in the path of their opponents, and attacking them with missiles and heat axes. The Dreisssen, in particular, had resorted to using a peculiar signature weapon of theirs: the Tri-Blades, a sort of mobile suit-sized boomerang that looked like a three-pointed throwing star. Mazinger Z and the Eagle Fighter were forced to slow down their relentless assault and back down just a little, in order to escape the barrage of missiles and remote weapons.

"Ugh... I have to say, these guys are tougher than I thought!" Kouji grunted, lifting Mazinger Z's arms to defend against a tri-blade. The bladed weapon bounces against the Super Alloy Z that composed the demonic robot, leaving a visible scratch on its left arm and causing a few sparks to shoot out from the gash. "THese things... are actually capable of cutting through Super Alloy Z!"

Shinobu executes a flawless midair maneuver, strafing the enemies with heavy machine gun fire, and managed to down a Zussa before several bullets coming from the Dreissens' three-barreled cannons forced him to retreat slighty. "I've seen that, but if they think this is going to slow us down, they've got another thing coming!" the hotheaded Cyber Beast Force member exclaimed, before deftly swerving to the side and avoiding another blast.

"Guys, don't be foolish!" Sayaka tried to warn them, as she maneuvered her Aphrodite-A so that she could get close enough to Mazinger Z to repair it. "Remember that our companions should be in position right now... they should be arriving any moment now!"

"I know, but this doesn't mean we can't have our share of fun beating these guys' asses, does it? **Photon Beam!**" Kouji exclaimed, pressing a button on his console. Mazinger Z's eyes flared with a yellow light for a split second, then shot a concentrated laser beam that struck a Dreissen in the leg, blowing the limb off at the knee in a blast of electrical sparks, and causing the Neo Zeon Mobile Suit to topple forward. The pilot was able to escape from a hatch on the back of the robot and flee to safety, but the hole in Neo Zeon's defensive formation had already been blown!

"Nicely done, Kouji!" Sayaka exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up to the cocky young man, then she turned her attention to her comm screen, which showed professor Hazuki's face set in a serious frown... a sign that the rest of the Cyber Beast Force and the Gandor's Mobile Suit were ready to take action! "Hold on, guys! I think we are about to get some help soon!"

"_That would be the case, miss Yumi._" Hazuki said with a slight nod. "_Retreat, and let the rest of the team handle the defensive formation on the sides. Mass, Kobayashi, Cyber Beast Force... charge, now!_"

There was the telltale sound of something bursting out of the natural covers around the base... and soon enough, the Land Cougar, Big Moth and Land Liger were charging towards the Neo Zeon defence force, zigzagging madly in order to try and confuse their opponents as much as possible. The enemies seemed to have expected, or at least considered, the fact that they might have gotten attacked from the sides, and the quickness and adroitness with which the side under attack turned around to repel the other three members of the Cyber Beast Force... however, they were not quite fast enough, and Sara, Ryo and Masato were upon them in a split second, smashing through the side of the Mobile Suit formation. The Big Moth, a huge elephant-like robot, was leading the charge, picking up a Dreissen with its metal trunk and then using it as a flail to attack the closest opponents! Then, both the Land Cougar and the Land Liger used their claws to hack a Zussa to pieces... and the enemy pilot was barely able to eject in time not to come to the same fate as his machine.

From his cockpit on the Eagle Fighter, Shinobu smirked in greeting. "Heh... you sure took your sweet time, you guys! Not that we really needed you or anything!" he said in a contained, playful boast.

"Heh... you know, Shinobu, you should be a little more grateful to the ones who took you out of hot water more than once." Ryo answered with a calm smile. Then, he swung his Big Moth's head around, impaling an enemy Mobile Suit on its tusks, just as the rest of the Gandor's reinforcements descended from the opposite side and began raining fire upon the Neo Zeon defenders, pushing them back a little farther! Then, the G-Defensor piloted by Katz, and the Gundam Mark-2 piloted by Sayla arrived right next to the Neo Zeon base, and took position alongside Mazinger Z and the Cyber Beast Force!

"Good to see everyone's here!" Kouji commented, dodging another tri-blade from a Dreissen. More enemies were starting to approach from the sides, using hit-and-run tactics to try and surround the small assault force. "Now we can kick these guys' asses together! Let's crash their party!"

"Sure thing, Kouji!" Katz said, maneuvering his small mobile weapon, the G-Defensor, out of the Dreissens' range. "Sayla, get ready for docking!"

"Acknowledge, Katz!" the blond pilot answered. "I'm ready whenever you are!"

Narrowly dodging a small missile, the young boy fired his beam launcher at an offending Zussa, forcing the squat yellow mobile suit to retreat... then quickly dropped and got closer to the Gundam Mark-2. Sayla, fr her part, got in position and allowed te G-Defensor to dock with her, locking on the Gundam Mark-2's frame with pinpoint precision, and causing it to pretty much transform into a brand new Mobile Suit altogether! The G-Defensor's armament pods shifted in order to become shields of sorts on the Gundam Mark-2's sides, and its long beam rifle and missile pods slid onto the Gundam Mark-2's arms, allowing the latter Mobile Suit access to the armaments of both!

"Wow, I never knew Gundam could combine!" Sayaka said, watching the quick but still impressive process in awe. "That was pretty cool, I have to say!"

"Impressed with the Super Gundam's combination? Then just wait until we get to do the same with Dancougar's components!" Masato joked. "But for now... let's keep at it! We've still got an ace pilot to save, right?"

"We are already on it, Masato." Sayla said, as she raised the Super Gundam's newly-acquired Long Beam Rifle and fired a powerful beam that tore through a Dreissen's chestplate, causing the Neo Zeon suit to detonate. The remaining opponents tried to back away, fired beams and missiles in order to cover their retreat... but soon after, they scattered in order to make way for a squadron of reinforcements, coming right from the innermost parts of the base... and all of them looked quite dangerous indeed!

"Huh. Looks like we've got company here." Kouji said with a small smirk. "I just hope they'll be a little more of a challenge."

"I wouldn't get so cocky if I were you, Kouji..." Sarah answered from the Land Cougar's cockpit. "These Mobile Suits all look pretty tough."

She was right, of course. And both Sayla and Katz cringed when they saw the newcoming models, as they had already seen them in action during the war against the Titans, and they had a good idea of what they were capable of doing. The lineup consisted of a Doven Wolf, an heavy Neo Zeon Mobile Suit with bright green armor plating on a pitch black body, outfitted with a dangerous quasi-Psycommu system that allowed it to use wire-guidedremote beam guns; an Hambrabi, a sleek transformable Mobile Suit, a blue colour all over, that resembled a shark in some ways, armed with an extensible whip; a couple of huge Baund Docs, another transformable prototype Mobile Suit that somewhat resembled a bipedal bunny with an overlarge abdomen; and finally, a model Katz couldn't help but pale at the sight of - the Messala, a squat, heavily-armed purple Mobile Suit mostly used for atmospheric combat. It was a unique model, and Katz remembered all too well who was its pilot...

"The... the Messala is here?" he mouthed, his eyes wide. "That means that... Sara... Sara is here? How... how can this be?"

"Hmph... so you've managed to find our location and put us on the ropes, it seems." Rakan grunted from his Doven Wolf's cockpit. "Well, no matter. You've done a great mistake in charging right in. A mistake you aren't going to live to regret."

"Stuff it, hotshot!" Shinobu fired back. "And answer this... Amuro Ray is held hostage in your base, is that correct? Hand him to us immediately, and we won't have to kick all of your asses!"

Of course, Rakan was unimpressed with the threat. "Hmph... I'll remember this insult, you insolent whelp, and I'll make sure you never forget it as well!" the Neo Zeon sergeant answered. Immediately, a pair of wire-guided guns emerged from the sides of his Doven Wolf and shot forward, following awkward trajectories as they homed in on the Eagle Fighter, before firing a barrage of shots from different angulations, hoping to catch the hotheaded pilot off guard. However, Shinobu was faster than Rakan anticipated, and managed to swerve sideways with a daring maneuver, causing all the shots to miss their intended target and scatter harmlessly.

"Hmph... and you think you're gonna defeat me with that, Neo Zeon idiot? That's a mistake you're gonna regret!" Shinobu shouted back as he shot a couple of missiles from the Eagle Fighter's wings. Rakan managed to dodge the shots, which exploded upon the ground and opened a couple of large, charred craters in the concrete, and then recalled his wire-guided guns, in order to be able to move more easily.

Sarah's Messala, at that very same moment, had targetted the Super Gundam, and was puting it on the ropes with unexpected ease! The young pink-haired Newtype was inexperienced but skilled, and had managed to dodge two shots from the Long Beam Rifle before closing in and ramming her Messala's shoulder into the Super Gundam's chest, knocking the combined Mobile Suit off its feet and causing both Sayla and Katz to cry out in distress.

"Aaaargh! Dammit, this is bad..." Sayla exclaimed, trying frantically to make the Super Gundam climb back to its feet. "Katz, I need help here! Help me stabilize the Gundam and take aim!"

"I'm... doing my best!" Katz exclaimed, trying desperately to focus on the fight, even though he knew it would be very hard for him. After all, he knew very well who exactly was piloting hat suit in front of him, and he was desperately trying to get through to her. "Dammit... Sarah! Sarah Zabiarov, is that you? It's me, Katz, don't you recognize me? Why are you fighting for Neo Zeon now?"

Sarah hesitated for just a moment, her Messala hanging back for a moment. "There is nothing to explain, Katz. I though I already ade it clear... our meeting came too late." she explained cryptically. "And as for why I am working for Neo Zeon now, all you need to know is that times have changed, and so have the Titans."

"You don't belong among those people!" Katz insisted, as the super Gundam tried to defend against the Messala's relentless assault. Despite the apparent bulkiness, the Titans Mobile suit was very fast and agile, making it a terrifying opponent in close quarters. "Please, Sarah, you know this is not the place were you should be! Come with us, we can ensure you will not be persecuted! I give you my word!"

"Katz, what are you doing?" Sayla exclaimed, as the Super Gundam tried to fend off the Messala's assault. "Stay focused!"

"Nothing you say will have an effect on my will!" Sarah fired back, her Messala's fist driving straight into the Super Gundam's chest. "I said all there is to be said!"

As the combined Gundam and the Jupiterian Mobile Suit continued their faceoff, Kouji, Sayaka and the rest of the Cyber Beast Force kept up the pressure, soon finding themselves in an heated battle with Jerid and Mouar, both piloting Baund Docs. And they were finding out, much to their disappointment, that the strange Mobile Suits' ridiculous rabbit-like appearence delied just how powerful those things were. Jerid was facing off against Sara, Masato and Ryo, and was managing to admirably hold his own against them while his beloved Mouar attacked Mazinger Z.

Kouji, who hadn't thought much of the emerald haired woman's Mobile Suit at first, was finding out just how wrong he was,as the Baund Doc raked its claw-like arm down Mazinger Z's breastplate, leaving several claw marks. "Ugh... damn, you're better than I thought!" the hotheaded pilot complimented. "To think you'd be able to even scratch Mazinger's Super Alloy Z..."

"It was a mistake to attack us without imagining that we were prepared to repel you." Mouar answered, swiftly dodging a powerful Photon Beam attack from Mazinger Z's eyes and attacking back with a shot from her beam rifle. Mazinger dodged and closed in, using the razor-sharp edge of its blood-red wings to open a gash in the Baund Doc's skirt-like binders.

"**Scrander Cutter!**" Kouji exclaimed, as metal tore through metal with a sickening sound. Mouar's Baund Doc stumbled, and the Titan officer was barely able to keep it standing as she turned around to face Mazinger once again. "Heh, I'll admit you are better than I thought, but... remmber it's still my Mazinger Z you're dealing with! You're in the big leagues now, woman!"

"Mouar! Be careful!" Jerid exclaimed, as he skillfully dodged an attack from Sara's Land Liger. "Ugh... you annoying brats, don't stand in my way! Move!" he roared in annoyance, firing a powerful shot from the Baud Doc's chest-mounted scattering laser. The Land Liger and Land Cougar barely managed to avoid the attack, scattering on both sides and dodging the worst of it, but a couple stray beam scored two clean hits on Ryo's Big Moth, causing the elephant-like robot to stagger, smoke coming out of a pair of holes in its armor.

"Hey, Ryo! Be careful!" Masato exclaimed, before turning back to Jerid's Baund Doc and slashing its skirt-like binder. Jerid bit back a curse as his Mobile Suit lost balance, but managed to recover with unsuspecting speed and brought his guard up once again...

"Geez, this guy's Mobile suit might look like a rabbit, but it's damn tough!" Sara muttered, unleashing a volley of machine gun fire against the Baund Doc. However, the Mobile Suit's tough armor managed to leave it mostly unscathed as Ryo's Big Moth recovered and charged once again... only to swerve sideways at the last moment and ram the opponent with its powerful trunk! Jerid cursed and barely managed to defend himself, but smirked nastily as a small squadron of Zussa Mobile Suits came to his and his companions' aid, shooting several missiles from their shoulder batteries.

"Take care, everyone!" Ryo warned, trying to avoid the missiles. "These guys aren't playing around any more!"

**oooooooooo**

Mitsuko covered her head and her ears when a stray shot landed too close for confort to the hangar they were in, causing the whole building to buckle dangerously, and several iron beams to detach from the ceiling and land on the floor with a deafening noise. The battle was getting more and more heated by the minute, and it was only a matter of time before it was going to involve her and Lahge as well. They just couldn't stay there, they had to find a way to escape and, at the same time, ensure the safety of the Cosmo Driver Frame... but there didn't seem to be many was out of there. If they stepped out, they would be in even more danger, there was no Mobile Suit they could climb on in order to attempt a sortie... and even if there was, neither she nor Lahge were pilots, and they couldn't handle such a machine at all.

"I really wish Fiona was here now. She would be able to take us all out of this mess... but I'm afraid we'll have to make do, Mitsuko." Lahge answered, helping his colleague and friend to stand up. Mitsuko sighed in relief, pointing to the outside, where the burning carcass of a Dreissen made escape from the main entrance impractical at best.

"Lahge, the main entrance is almost blocked! We need to find another way out!" she exclaimed in fear. "And we have to make it fast, or else we'll get flattened like pancakes!"

Lahge, true to form, refused to let the situation unnerve him and answered with uflappable stoicism. "Don't lose your head, Mitsuko. We can still escape... we'll take a longer way through the main base, now that the soldiers are busy trying to keep the attackers at bay, and with some luck, we might be able to stumble across an emergency evacuation route or something. Now, I just hope the fight hasn't done too much damage already..."

Mitsuko nodded, reigning her fear in, and quickly followed her companion towards the door through which they had been all but shoved into the large room by Rakan, only a few hours earlier. Luckily, Lahge's hunch that the personnel was mostly busy trying to repel the attackers was right, and no Neo Zeon soldier came to hindrance their escape, allowing both to dash through the corridors, in a frenzied search for a way out... In a few seconds, the two had arrived to the prison block, and had begun to look around, only to find that someone was still inside one of he cells... and a Neo Zeon grunt, armed with a rifle, was trying to unlock the door and drag the prisoner out.

"What the..." the soldier exclaimed as soon as Lahge and Mitsuko entered the room. Acting by instinct alone, the soldier dropped what he was doing and grabbed his rifle to order the two escapees to surrender... but Lahge was faster than he was, and quickly closed the distance and punched the Neo Zeon grunt straight in the face before he could utter a single word. The man grunted in pain and fell to the ground with a bloody nose, as Lahge shook his fist, whose knuckles had begun to smart already.

"Damn..." Lahge said, nursing his punching hand. "I never imagined punching someone could be that painful..."

"Ah... Lahge... Lahge, are you okay?" Mitsuko, who had remained fozen in shock on the doorstep, managed to shake herself out of her funk, and ran to see how her friend was doing... and the prisoner who was still inside the block called for her, seeing a chance to escape.

"Hey, you two!" he called, and when Lahge and Mitsuko turned to him, they saw that he was a young man in his early twenties, with messy reddish-brown hair and a clear face, dressed in a plain white shirt, trousers and brown shoes. "This base is under attack, and it's not going to last much longer at this rate! If you can get me out of here, I can help you escape from here before it's too late!"

"Wh... what?" Mitsuko exclaimed. "Well... we would be happy to help you, but... how do we get you out of there?"

The young man pointed to the stunned grunt, who was still lying unconscious on te ground. "That guy had a magnetic card to open the door of my cell with. Pick it up and use it, quickly!" he advised. Lahge did as he was told and slashed the card key in a slot on the cell block's side, and a faint beeping sound signalled that the door was now unlocked, allowing the prisoner to get out.

"Thank you, both of you. I owe you one." he stated gratefully. "My name is Amuro Ray, and I've been captured by Neo Zeon some time ago. I won't bore you with the details, I'll just need to tell you that they were planning to make me into a pilot for some of their new Newtype-oriented Mobile Suits."

That well-known name caused both Lahge and Mitsuko to widen their eyes in wonder. "Amuro Ray?" the girl exclaimed."As in, the famous Earth Federation ace pilot? The one who piloted the RX-78 Gundam in the One Year War and had the honor of fighting toe to toe with the infamous Red Comet, Char Aznable?"

Amuro blinked in surprise, taken aback by the young researcher's sudden enthusiasm, and slowy nodded. "Well... yes, that would be me. But we have no time to reminisce about this. Follow me, I know where we can take our ticket out of this mess. Provided we are lucky enough to find a Mobile Suit they haven't gotten to, at least." he commented, before motioning to Lahge and Mitsuko to follow him into the corridor they had come from. "This way. When they brought me here, I caught a glimpse of something that might help us escape."

"We are definitely not going to look at a gift horse in the mouth, that's for certain!" Mitsuko answered as the trio quickly swerved through the narrow corridors, trying to avoid the rubble that was quickly cluttering in the way. Thankfully, they didn't have to run very far: in just a few moments, the three of them reached another hangar, who had mostly been untouched by the fighting, and saw that a few Mobile Suits had still been left there, possibly because several soldiers still hadn't made it to them. One of them caught Mitsuko and Lahge's attention most of all - a large, aquamarine green Mobile Suit with a blue body armor, a dark blue binder on its right arm, and a couple wing-like thrusters placed on its back, as well as a monoeye head that reminded them of the Gelgoog, one of the old Principality of Zeon's best-known models. A long and thin staff - at least, for Mobile Suit standards - had been placed beside it, and was quite obviously the green Mobile Suit's main weapon.

"That was what I was talking about. Come with me, and we can get out of here." Amuro said, while Lahge and Mitsuko followed him to the green Mobile Suit. "This is the Mobile Suit I was piloting when I had been captured by Neo Zeon. The Dijeh, a Mobile Suit model exclusive to Karaba, at least before the group was decimated. I can see that they've already done all the repairs."

"Well, we'll thank Neo Zeon and their efficiency another time." Mitsuko answered. Now, the three of them had reached an elevator placed right beside the Dijeh, and were going up towards an hatch in the back of the green Mobile Suit's head. "By the way, Mr. Ray... do you think this Mobile suit can fit the three of us in its cockpit?"

"I think we can manage." Amuro said as soonas the elevator stopped. The Federation ace opened the hatch and began sliding down towards the cockpit. "I'm afraid we don't have much choice anyway, if we are to escape with our lives."

Lahge smiled to himself, somewhat bitterly, as he followed Amuro into the cockpit. The whole thing held some undeniable deja-vu... after all, that was how the team had managed to escape from the Lunar Base when it had been attacked by Duminus. Then again, it had succeeded at the time... it was worth a try, after all. "Okay, then. Mitsuko, there's room enough for the three of us! Quickly, hop in! If we don't take this chance, I don't think we'll ever get another one!"

"Coming!" Mitsuko said, carefully lowering herself into the hatch and closing the door behind herself as she got into the cockpit as well. With three people inside, the space was rather limited, and there was little room to move... but at least, there was enough room for Amuro to sit at the controls and maneuver the Dijeh. With a few expert gestures, the young Federation ace started up the suit, whose mono-eye shone dangerously as its engines came alive, and he quickly grabbed the staff that had been placed beside the Dijeh. A curved beam blade lit up at one end of the staff, revealing it to be a beam naginata.

"It looks like it's still in great shape. Good for us." Amuro commented, before takking a few steps towards the still-abandoned Dreissen and Zussa Mobile suit, and using the beam halberd to hack off the enemy Mobile Suits' limbs, so that they couldn't be used against them. "And now, Neo Zeon will have to do without these suits anyway. Let's get outside, now!"

"Hold on a second, Mr. Ray!" Mitsuko objected, knowing that they still had an important matter to deal with. "There is... still something we need to take away from this place! In the hangar where Lahge and I had been working... there was something that we absolutely need! Can... can we get there and try to reclaim it?"

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Amuro answered, frowning a little. "It might be very dangerous to linger here. Remember, even if we caught them off gard, we are still fighting inside of Neo Zeon's home turf!"

"Normally, I would agree with that." Lahge said, adjusting his glases as he made sure Mitsuko wasn't going to be tossed around, by holding her shoulders and trying to give her a secure handhold. "But Mitsuko is right, what we were working on is very important, and we need to recover it, if at all possible. I know we are asking much of you, Mr. Ray... but at the moment, you are the only one who can help us."

Amuro sighed, rubbing his forehead. It was definitely not what he would call a good iea... but he figured that, since Lahge and Mitsuko had helped him out of that place, he might as well do that out of gratitude, if nothing else. "Fine, then... this goes against my better judgment, but I guess we can try." he answered. "However, do know that it will be a rough ride. We are about to enter the battlefield, so while I will do my best to get you alive out of here, I cannot guarantee for your safety. Hold tight!"

With that, Amuro gave a boost to the Dijeh's engines and, still holding on to the beam naginata with both hands, the green-and-blue Mobile Suit tore out of the hangar in a deafening crash, and slammed right into a Dreissen that was just then coming to the aid of its comrades! With a lethally precise slash, Amuro struck the Neo Zeon Mobile Suit in its midsection, killing its circuits dead and leaving it to helplessly topple to the ground, before making his way through the Neo Zeon ranks, in a desperate attempt to get to safety before he was surrounded. Thanks to Amuro's expertise, which years of inactivity had not managed to dull just yet, the Dijeh made its way towards the hangars, easily avoiding or destroying the enemies who were standing in the way, and seemed to be just one step away from getting to his goal... when Amuro's Newtype senses acted up, warning him of an impending danger coming right from above! Just in time, Amuro jumped away, and an electified whip, belonging to a blue Mobile Suit with a conical head, looking somewhat shark-like in shape and with a sinister pair of fin-like wings, struck the ground, causing a few cracks to appear upon it, and several electrical sparks to spray from its tip!

"Huh? What... what was that?" Lahge asked in surprise.

The raucous laugh of the blue Mobile Suit's pilot, just then landing in front of the Dijeh and recovering its electrified whip, answered the emerald-haired man's question. "Hahahahaa! Surprise, buddy!" Yazan Gable taunted. "Bet you actually thought you had a chance there, huh? Sorry, pal, ain't happening as long as I get in your way!"

"An Hambrabi..." Mitsuko murmured, recognizing that particul brand of Mobile Suit from the databases she had access to when she was working at the laboratories on the Moon. "Mr. Amuro, be careful! It might be just a grunt suit, but it packs a mean punch!"

"Don't worry, I am not planning to underestimate that thing anytime soon." Amuro answered as he readied his beam naginata. Yazan smirked and brought his electrical whip up once again, attempting to entangle and electrify the Dijeh with it, but Amuro was too skilled to get caught offguard by such an attack, and easily sidestepped the blow... only to be faced with the wrong side of the Hambrabi's beam rifle! Only his supernaturally quick Newtype reflexes saved Amuro from a potentially lethal shot, and the red beam of light that erupted from the rifle grazed the Dijeh's side, causing a hower of sparks to explode outwards! The Dijeh quickly closed the distance and punched the Hambrabi in the face, staggering it and giving its blood-crazed pilot a good shaking, then executed a mighty slash with its halberd-like weapon... which Yazan easily avoided and countered with another whip slash, entangling the pole weapon in its lethal grasp!

"Crap... this guy is better than I thought!" Lahge exclaimed, while the Dijeh and the Hambrabi began a lethal game of tug-of-war. "Is he some sort of Newtype, oranything of the sort?"

"Afraid not..." Amuro answered, gritting his teeth in ager and frustration. "I cannot perceive any Newtype potential coming from him. He's not a Newtype, nor an Enhanced Human... he's just that good at piloting!"

Yazan chuckled evilly, giving his whip yet another tug before trying to send another electrical shock in the lethal weapon's body... but Amuro had predicted that, and quickly dropped his beam naginata just in time. The weapon clattered on the concrete and deactivated, leaving Yazan vulnerable for just a second... which allowed Amuro to dash in and do a shoulder charge right into the Hambrabi's chest! The blue Mobile Suit was sent hurtling into a nearby building, causing a good half of it to crumble, and both researchers who were in the cockpit with Amuro sighed in relief, having escaped a very punishing electric shock. However, Yazan was not going to be hindranced by so little, and quickly stood up and got ready to fight again.

"Hehehee... well, what do you know? You really live up to your hype, Amuro Ray!" the former Titan smirked evilly. "But... aren't you getting sloppy with your piloting! I know you can do much more that that... oh, wait, I know! it's because you have those two brats in the cockpit with you, huh? You can't fight at your best because you're worried about them and they're wasting your space in the cockpit, huh? Well, too bad for you, pal! I don't have the same problem! Hahahahaaa!"

With a sadistic laugh, Yazan unsheathed a beam saber from his Hambrabi's waist area, just as Amuro recovered his beam naginata, and launched himself at the Newtype ace, forcing him on the defensive with a downwards slash. But this cost him a kick in the midsectio from the Dijeh, and Amuro managed to get through his defences and score a blow on the Hambrabi's shoulder with the naginata, damaging it somewhat. Undaunted, Yazan did a quick series of thrusts, opening a few gashes on the Dijeh's body armor, and once again leaving both combatants at an impasse. Amuro, however, was feeling the pressure of having to get away from there as quickly as possible, as well as the problem of having two civilians in the cockpit... while Yazan didn't have the same problem, and was in fact enjoying the battle as well, trying to prolong it as much as he could!

"Dammit..." Amuro muttered to himself. "If only I didn't have to mind what I am doing and take care of these hostages, then I would have a far easier time getting rid of this thug..."

The Dijeh's naginata and the Hambrabi's beam saber clashed once again, while several Dreissen and Zussa units tried to approach the scene of the duel... but much to Amuro's surprse and horror, Yazan actually distracted himself just a moment to fire at his own allies with his Hambrabi's beam rifle, striking the ground ight in front of them as a warning shot! The Neo Zeon Mobile Suits jumped back, seemingly as shocked about it as their pilots were, and backed away as Yazan once again dedicated his full attention to Amuro and the escapees.

"What? Is this guy totally nuts or what?" Mitsuko exclaimed. "Did he just shoot at his own men?"

As if able to hear her over the radio, Yazan answered with a brief, cruel laugh. "Hehehee... I am more than enough to take you guys out! I don't need those fools to help me... and now, Amuro Ray, let's see how long you can resist with that crummy Mobile Suit of yours!"

"It would be wise not to underestimate me!" Amuro fired back hotly, as his naginata swatted away the Hambrabi's beam saber, keeping up with Yazan's relentless assault. Lahge and Mitsuko tried to shrink in a corner, in order not to be an hindrance to Amuro, and hoped with all their might their new friend would be able to fight off the bloodthirsty Titans officer...

**oooooooooo**

Nearby, the rest of the team was still having quite an hard time fighting off the rest of the Neo Zeon forces, with Rakan's Doven Wolf and Sarah's Messala being a particularly tough hindrance. Mazinger Z had taken to the skies using its Jet Scrander, and had tried bombarding the enemy from above for as long as he could, but he discovered much to his annoyance that the Doven Wolf's wire-guided guns had enough range to follow him in midair.

"Dammit... these stupid lasers are harder to shake than door-to-door salesmen!" the hotheaded Mazinger Z pilot cursed. Taking advantage of the fact that it still took some time for them to return to the Doven Wolf's main body, Mazinger Z aimed a punch at the Neo Zeon Mobile Suit, and a couple of razor-sharp blades came out of the limb's side before it was fired. "**Iron Cutter!**"

Mazinger Z's right fist, armed with the side cutters, flew at Rakan's MS and managed to cut a rather large gash on its armored side. Rakan bit back a curse as his interfaces began showing damage reports, and fired a couple shots from his regular beam rifle as he hung back and began directing a few grunts.

"Damn, this is tougher than I thought... everyone, scatter around the field and target Mazinger Z from all sides! Don't give him a steady target!" Rakan ordered, while the Dreissen and Zussa units tried to swerve through the crossfire and target the demonic-looking robot without becoming a target for the rest of its allies. A Zussa, in particular, was lucky enough to get in a hit with its missile launchers... but the damage wasn't too impressive, thanks to the incredibly tough Super Alloy Z covering Mazinger Z, and Kouji, after being thrown around in his cockpit for a second, quickly turned around and retaliated.

"Oh, so you're gonna play tough, huh? Well then, we'll play tough! **Rust Tornado!**" he shouted. Mazinger Z seemed to breathe in, and a split second later, a powerful gust of wind blew forth from its grill-shaped mouthplate, and struck the Zussa before it could move away. For some time, nothing happened, and the Zussa pilot was even about to think that Mazinger's attack had been useless. But just as he was about to return fire, his Mobile Suit suddenly became covered in a thick coating of rust, and its joints stiffened with a sinister cracking noise, as it began liteally falling apart! Its legs were suddenly unable to withstand the body's wright and collapsed underneath it, while the rest of the Mobile Suit's plating was being literally eaten away by the rust.

Rakan's eyes widened in surprise and anger as he saw the Zussa literally rotting away to nothing, and its unharmed pilot turning tail and running away for dear life. "Ugh... curse you, Mazinger Z... you always seem to have a surprise ready!" he muttered. "At least, I hope the others are doing better..."

The fights had reached the point of a stalemate. While the Gandor pilots were definitely strong and skilled, the former Titans officers were nothing to sneeze at either, and between their advanced Mobile Suits, and the other soldiers helping them out, they were putting up a fierce resistance! The Super Gundam, despite having no problem with the rank and file, was being driven in a corner by the Messala... though that was also a problem of Katz not putting all of himself in the fight, and Sayla not being a really powerful Newtype, at least compared with Sarah.

The Super Gundam reeled from a powerful blow for the Messala, but managed to turn around and execute a powerful slash with its beam saber, scarring the heavier but faster Mobile Suit's chestplace. Sarah screamed in rage and alarm, and decided to get some distance in order to reorganize herself... but Sayla decided to capitalize on her mistake and fired a pair of missiles, which Sarah was barely able to avoid. By pushing her verniers to their limits, the pink-haired Newtype managed to jump high and fired her beam rifle, striking the terrain around the Super Gundam and causing Katz to cry out in distress.

"Aaaargh!" the young resistance member shouted. "Sarah, please stop! Isn't that enough? I don't want to fight you!"

"She's not going to listen, fool!" Sayla fired back as she attempted to defend herself from the lasers. "You heard her, she's set on her way, and you won't be able to sway her with just words!"

"Dammit..." Katz muttered, just before his cockpit was shaken by an explosion that had come far too close for comfort! The Messala landed, but the Super Gundam's Long Beam Rifle managed to score a hit on one of its legs, staggering the heavier Mobile Suit.

Jerid and Mouar, for their part, were admirably holding their own against the Cyber Beast Force, in spite of being outnumbered two to one. Their Baund Docs were standing back to back, doing an impressive teamwork and keeping the animal-like robots at bay. However, the Cyber Beast Force was pushing them to their limits as well, and they had to struggle not to be separated as Shinobu's Eagle Fighter dropped a few bombs around them.

"Take this, Titan scum!" the hotheaded youth exclaimed, keeping the Baund Docs at bay while Sara's Land Liger managed to score a hit on Jerid's robot with its claws. The blond jet-jockey pilot cursed as his robot staggered, and tried to take aim again...

But that was when the unexpected happened.

While everyone was occupied with the battle, a huge tremor shook the premises, causing all the Mobile Suits and the robots to freeze in place as they tried to maintain balance... and there was a deafening noise as the earth itself split, creating a huge fissure that swallowed several buildings and Mobile Suits! An inhuman roar echoed all around, loud enough to shatter the few windows still whole, and something huge and terrifying began climbing its way out of the ground!

"WHAT?" Rakan exclaimed. Even the hardened Neo Zeon soldier was having problems hiding his surprise. "What's going on here, now? What's the meaning of this?"

The answer came sooner than he would have liked: it was a gigantic futuristic fortress, shaped somewhat like a colossal nut and armed with several cannons scattered all around its body. A larger turret was standing right in the center of the structure, giving the impression of an aircraft carrier's control tower, and it was being carried by a couple of mechanical monsters that looked like two mean-looking brontosaurs, with an angry red, scaly hide and a ferocious expression on their faces, standing on four legs wider than oak trees, and with huge tails that rythmically sweeped the ground behind them, crushing everything in their wake! It was a truly terrifying sight, made even worse by the fact this mechanical monstrosity dwarves even Mazinger Z with its sheer size! The Mazinger team, the Cyber Beast Force, and all Mobile Suits on both sides stood in place, as they watched the gigantic dinosaur-carried fortress rise from the ground!

"K-Kouji..." Sayaka murmured in horror, but still trying to get close in order to repair her damaged allies. "Isn't... Isn't that..."

"Dammit... just what we didn't need!" Kouji answered. "It's a Mechasaurus Dai!"

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	25. Mechasaurus Rampage

**Super Robot Taisen S**

**Welcome back! It has been some time since I last updated this, huh? Sadly, my daily schedule is leaving me with very little time in which to proceed with my storytelling, but still I managed to squeeze in one hour and a half a day in which to continue updating my own stories... and helping my friends out with theirs! And as you can see... here's the next chapter in my Super Robot Taisen story, with a few juicy news that are surely going to excite all mecha anime fans!**

**In fact, after careful thinking, I decided that I might as well squeeze in a couple new series in my story. I am talking about Rinne No Lagrange and Eureka Seven AO, both of which have only recently reached conclusion, and it will be some time before they show up in a Super Robot Taisen game. Hopefully, I will be able to add them believably, and to make my story all the more epic for that! In fact, I already have quite a few ideas about how they will blend in with all the mess!**

**But if you are curious to see how I organized the massive cast of series, you only have to look at the prologue chapter of my story, where I made a roster of all the series that will appear - or have already appeared in this story, and the seasons in which they're going to play a part! I apologize to all those who might think I'm never making up my mind, but there are series who are just so awesome, I couldn't help but sneak them in! **

**Anyway, where had we left our bold heroes last time? Oh, yeah... Lahge and Mitsuko were helping Amuro Ray hijack a Dijeh Mobile Suit and escape from the Neo Zeon base, taking advantage of the assault from the Mazinger Team, the Dancougar Team and a couple of old faces from the original Gundam. However, as they were trying to make their escape, they were held down by everybody's favourite immortal cockroach, Yazan Gable. And it's not the worst of their problems, to boot: just as the fight between the rescuers and the defenders was reaching a stalemate, an unexpected problem came to trash the fight and rampage through the Neo Zeon base - a gigantic Mechasaurus Dai, a powerful war machine that the Getter Robo team has already had to deal with in the past! This is surely going to spell trouble for everyone... will our bold heroes manage to take down the mighty fortress and both save Amuro from his captivity and recover the Excellence-C frame, before it ends in the wrong hands?**

**To know the answer to all these questions, all you have to do is keep reading! This chapter will definitely feature one heck of a fight!**

**Happy reading!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 25 - Mechasaurus Rampage**

It was a truly awesome, breath-taking yet horrific sight. The titanic Mechasaurus Dai that had emerged from a fissure in the earth was now beginning a slow, ponderous walk throughout the devastated base, knocking down and destroying everything that was unlucky enough to be in its way. The fortified barracks were no match from the dinosaur-mounted fortress, who as simply crusing them underfoot like they were made of chalk, and scores of Mobile Suit fled instead of staying and throwing their lives away in what seemed like an hopeless fight. Those who were foolish enough to stay couldn't do much: beams and bullets all bounced of the brontosaurs' thick metallic hide, while their massive tails swept the ground behind the Mechasaurus and smashed to pieces any robot that happened to be in their radius of action.

"What the... What the Hell is this... THING?" Shinobu exclaimed, almost not wanting to believe what he was seeing. He hadn't been present when Getter Robo had faced the mighty mobile fortress, but he had hard second-hand just how tough that thing had been. And yet, he was convinced that, with the Dinosaur Empire dead and gone, the Mechasaurus Dai wouldn't have been heard of ever again. The behemoth standing in front of him right now, sadly, was begging to speak otherwise...

"Damn... just what we didn't need right now!" Kouji cursed, slamming his fist on Mazinger Z's console. "Everyone, try to scatter! That beast won't hesitate to stomp us flat if we stick together for longer than needed!"

One of the two brontosaurs, as if it had heard what Kouji had just said, turned its small head, standing on top of a long, serpentine neck, towards Mazinger Z and let out a long, frightening roar before breathing in and shooting a powerful sphere of glowing red energy, which lit up the air around it and hit the demonic robot, sending it flying a considerable distance before landing with a deafening crash just a little inside the Neo Zeon base's premises. The Super Gundam and Sarah's Messala, temporarily forgetting about their own fight, aimed their beam rifles to the mighty beast's uncovered flank and let loose with a barrage of beams, but neither of the two managed to inflict much more than cosmetic damage on the dinosaur-carried fortress, and the tail of one of the brontosaurs quickly whipped around and tried to smack them away like they were flies. Luckily, Sayla and Sarah were quick to react, and while the pink-haired Newtype got away clean, the Super Gundam was nicked in its right leg and lost balance, ending up sprawled on the ground as its beam rifle rolled away. 

"Damn... what is this thing?" Sayla exclaimed, in a frantic attempt to get some distance and recover the Long Beam Rifle. Despite its bulk, the Mechasaurus Dai was faster than anyone expected, and it was managing to hold its own against the combined might of both the attackers and the Neo Zeon defenders. In fact, the Neo Zeon troops were falling back, preferring to run away and fight another day, rather than stay and get wiped out by the thundering behemoth. "Where the Hell did it come from?"

"This... this is one of the most powerful machines used by the Dinosaur Empire!" Sayaka explained, as her Aphrodite A helped Mazinger Z up and tried to patch up the damage inflicted upon it. "But I thought Ryouma and the others had managed to destroy them a few months ago! How is it possible they're still around?"

"Yeah... we faced some of those guys some days ago, whn we were investigating this Neo Zeon base..." Kouji explained. "We still have no idea what they were doing there along with Dr. Hell's Machine Beasts!"

"Well, we'll talk about that later!" Shinobu exclaimed, his Eagle Fighter executing a flawless aerial roll as he approached the brontosaur-carried fortress. The huge monster sent several fireballs his way, but Shinobu was too skilled to let himself be hit like that. "Come on, you big, dumb beast! Let's see how you manage to hit me!"

"Shinobu, don't be an idiot." Ryo tried to warn him, as a fireball landed too close to his Land Moth for confort. "Hmph... guess we don't have much ofa choice then. We will have to combine and form Dancougar, in order to defeat that beast."

The Neo Zeon soldiers and the remaining Titans officers were beating a fighting retreat, covering their tracks with several shots from their beam rifles and long-distance weapons. Rakan was trying to lead his men to the evacuation routes, cursing his bad luck. "Everyone, keep retreating! Shoot down everything that tries to interfere!" he exclaimed, his Doven Wolf's incom guns darting all over the place as he tried to blast away at the Mechasaurus Dai. "Damn... this is just our bad luck... has anyone located Amuro Ray? We must at least take him and that unknown exoskeleton with us!"

"I'm sorry, Sgt. Rakan, sir..." Jerid answered, his Baund Doc quickly closing in. "Lt. Gable is currently held up in a battle with the prisoner as we speak. It seems that Amuro Ray and the two guys we had captured earlier have managed to get the Dijeh out of our hangars, and are using it to get away from here..."

"Damn... Lady Hamaan and Lord Dekim won't be happy about this at all!" Rakan said, gritting his teeth in frustration as he glared at the Mechasaurus Dai wrecking the place up! "All thanks to those damn rebels and that damn beast... Everybody, get away from here! This base is lost... all we can do is try to survive and bring as many of our men with us as we can! Lt. Mesa, relay the retreat order to Lt. Gable as well!"

"Okay..." Jerid grunted a grudging affirmative. As far as he was concerned, if that animal Yazan kicked the bucket there, he wouldn't shed any tears. However, orders were orders, so he grabbed his radio and contacted the Hambrabi. "Yazan, we are to leave this base as soon as possible! Leave the battle you're involved in, and head to the escape route!"

Sarah's Messala was doing a good job staying out of the Mechasaurus Dai's range, using its superior mobility to run rings around the bulky war machine, but the pink-haired Newtype knew her luck was not going to keep her going forever. She needed to join the others and get way as soon as possible... but before she did that, there was one thing that needed to be taken care of... The Super Gundam's Long Beam Rifle was laying abandoned on the battlefield, and the combined Mobile Suit couldn't possibly get to it without exposing itself to the Mechasaurus' powerful attacks. There was something she could do from there, provided she could do that without getting seen by her fellow soldiers...

However, Rakan's Doven Wolf and both Jerid and Mouar's Baund Docs were busy trying to lead the survivors out of the doomed base, and that animal Yazan was not around - Sarah was hoping with all her heart that Amuro Ray would take him out, but that Yazan guy always seemed to cheat death somehow. After making sure nobody could see what she was doing, Sarah moved her Messala to the side, pretending to dodge a volley of gunfire from the Mechasaurus Dai, and reached the Long Beam Rifle, before kicking it towards the Super Gundam. The powerful beam weapon landed right in frontof the combined Mobile Suit, and Katz slightly widened his eyes as he saw that.

"S-Sarah?" he murmured, casting a wary glance towards the Messala. In the Jupiter Mobile Suit's cockpit, Sarah returned an icy gaze to the young pilot, but if one could have seen her, he would have seen a glimmer of sadness in Sarah's large green eyes... then, the Messala took off in pursuit of the rest of the Neo Zeon team...

Sayla wasted no time in picking up the Long Beam Rifle, just as one of the brontosaurs turned its head towards her Super Gundam and shot out a fireball. Luckily, the blonde's reflexes were better than that, and she managed to make the combined Mobile Suit swerve sideways just in time...

**oooooooooo**

"Tch... just when I was starting to have fun..." Yazan muttered, doing a quick check to his Hambrabi's systems as Amuro's Dijeh left a large gash in its shoulder. "Well, it's been a good exercise for clearing the cobwebs! See ya soon, my friends! And I'll be sure to entertain you a little longer! Hehehee..."

The Hambrabi quickly switched to its faster and flight-capable Mobile Armor mode, quickly rearranging itself into a form reminescent of some sort of fighter plane, before speeding off where the rest of the Neo Zeon forces were going. In the Dijeh's cockpit, Amuro breathed a sigh of relief and lowered the beam naginata, turning to Lahge and Mitsuko. "Well, we managed to scrape through, somehow... but it seems that something else is causing problems around here!" the Newtype ace stated, showing the Mobile Suit's radar. "Something huge is causing the Neo Zeon Mobile Suits to scatter.. and is currently engaging the team that came to rescue us."

"What? Oh, man, never a dull moment here, huh?" Lahge said sarcastically. "Well, better try to help out... can we do anything from here?"

"We can try at least..." Amuro answered. "My Dijeh is still in good shape, so we can get to them!"

**oooooooooo**

The situation was getting quite hectic back in the clearing right in front of the Neo Zeon base, as the Mechasaurus Dai continued its rampage through the premises, crushing everything it found underfoot. In the span of a few minutes, the gigantic dinosaur-like machine has turned half of the base into worthless rubble, and was now advancing threateningly towards the Gandora team, covering their vision almost entirely. The Cyber Beast Squad and the Mobile Suits were doing all they could, but even their best efforts could at most slow down the massive behemoth. Mazinger Z, in the meanwhile, has managed to recover from the damage it had taken earlier, and was now rejoining the team.

"Damn... this guy isn't letting up, is it?" Kouji muttered as Mazinger Z took a fighting pose and stood bravely in front of the dinosaur-carried fortress. "Fine then... we'll just have to see who's the most stubborn of us two! **Rust Hurricane!**"

A powerful gust of wind was blown out of Mazinger Z's grill-shaped mouth and hit several cannons mounted on the Mechasaurus Dai's front. The metal immediately began to rust away and crumbled into dust, reducing the number of guns that were being aimed at the team. The Mechasaurus Dai's twin heads roared in unison as the monster staggered backwards, finally giving the rest of the team some breathing room.

"Way to go, Kouji!" exclaimed Sayaka, firing a pair of Breast Missiles that found their mark on the Mechasaurus' heads. However, the massive beast took the blows in stride, continuing its thundering advance towards the Gandora team. "Ugh... but I'm afraid we're going to need a little more firepower if we are to defeat this thing..."

The Mechasaurus was not about to let that happen. With a single kick from one of its legs, it managed to send the Super Gundam flying, and had it not been for Sayla's quick reflexes in activating the verniers, the comined Mobile Suit would have taken severe damage from the impact. Its armor was dented in several points, and giving off electric sparkles as the Super Gundam climbed on its feet again.

"Sayla, we've taken considerable damage." Katz said, wincing as he surveyed the damage reports. "Our left leg is disabled, and we're quickly losing power... we need to stay as far as we can and blast at that monster from a safe position."

"I'm afraid even that won't do much to this beast..." Sara commented. Her Land Cougar's gatling gun was bouncing off the Mechasaurus Dai's thick hide. The powerful dinosaur-carried fortress stepped forward again and let out a couple of ear-piercing roars before it fired twin fireballs from its mouths, hitting Aphrodite A and blowing the feminine robot all the way to the edge of the battlefield, where it bounced on the ground a couple times before stopping in a prone position. Sayaka grunted in pain, and tried to make her robot stad once again, despite the damage it had taken.

"Ugh... Kouji, we're in trouble." Sayaka murmured, taking a couple deep breathes to calm herself down. "I didn't remember this thing being so powerful..."

"Last time, we were fighting it at Ryouma and the others' side..." the hotheaded Mazinger Z pilot answered. "Heh... but I'm not giving it up! There surely is a way to take down these overgrown lizards, we just have to find out how!"

"In that case... how about we combine?" Masato said, winking confidently. The Cyber Beast Force had managed to regroup, weaving their way through the massive crossfire from the Mechasaurus Dai... and they were now standing very close to each other, ready to execute their combination sequence."

"Now you're talking my language, kid!" Shinobu exclaimed. "Okay, everyone! Are you ready?"

"Right behind you." Ryo answered.

"Yeah, I'm ready too..." was Sara's answer.

"Okay then... LET'S DO IT!" Shinobu concluded, exclaiming his catch phrase at the top of his lungs as he began pressing buttons on his console. "D-A-N-C-O-U-G-A-R! Dancougar, LOCK OFF!"

An angry red aura flared up around Shinobu, Sara, Masato and Ryo, and the four beast-like robots they were piloting shone brightly and began changing form: the Eagle Fighter soon morphed into the head of an awesome humanoid giant with a black helmet and a stern steely face, while the biggest machine, the Big Moth, changed in order to form the main body of the robot. The Land Cougar and the Land Liger both took a more compact shape, forming the lower legs... and soon, all the parts began combining together in a shower of light and color, forming a gigantic humanoid robot no less than thirty meters in height, with bulky frame, covered in black armor, with several silver parts showing on the legs and arms, and a pair of golden wing-like decorations on its chest. It stood proudly, facing the Mechasaurus Dai head-on, and quickly drew a huge broadsword, whose razor-sharp blade shone in the sun!

"Dancougar is in, everyone!" Shinobu said, before turning his glance at the Mechasaurus Dai, who seemed to realize that the combined Super Robot was going to be a bigger menace. "Alright, you prehistoric reject. Let's see how tough you really are!"

Both brontosaurs bellowed loudly, and their heads shot forward in order to attack Dancougar, but the mighty robot quickly swung its broadsword in front of itself, hitting one of the serpentine necks before it could get a chance to chomp on its thick armor, and the brontosaur quickly lifted its head and roared in pain and surprise. The other one quickly held back, and shot a fireball towards Dancougar, who quickly jumped away to avoid it.

"Hey, big shot! You haven't forgotten about us, did ya?" Kouji exclaimed. The red plate on Mazinger Z's chest began glowing as its temperature rose to unbearable levels. "**Breast Fire!**" the young man exclaimed at the top of his lungs, and a huge red beam shot out from Mazinger Z's chest and struck the Mechasaurus Dai's head, melting away some of the metal and artificial hide from its face! The monster roared in what semed like agony, and the fortress mounted on the brontosaurs' backs let loose with a powerful volley of missiles and gunfire, striking Dancougar and Mazinger Z, and causing both robots to stagger.

"Ugh... you're going to give us trouble, aren't you?" Shinobu growled angrily. Dancougar quickly unlimbered a massive rifle from its back and took aim, targetting the main fortress. "**Dai-Gun!**"

A massive beam of solid golden light burst out of the rifle, hitting the main fortress part of the Mechasaurus Dai, and causing a huge explosion that exposed a large part of the war machine's innards. The monster roared again, desperately trying to regain its footing... but just then, an explosion burst from one of the brontosaur's hind legs, and the massive beast toppled backwards, unbalancing the whole machine!

"Looks like we have some more help there!" Sayla said, pointing to the place where the explosion had come from. A green and blue Mobile suit wearing a beam naginata was dislodging its weapon from the Mechasaurus' leg, turning to the rest of the team as the familiar face of Amuro Ray appeared on their comm screens. "Amuro! Amuro, is that you?"

"Sayla Mass...?" Amuro said, allowing some surprise to show on his face. "Yes... yes, it's me. I managed to get my Dijeh back when the fighting started, and I was about to come to your aid, but I was held back... and I've taken a couple more prisoners with me!"

"That's good to know, Lt. Ray!" Sayaka answered with a wink. Much to her chagrin, she saw that the Mechasaurus Dai was still pushing forward, despite having a disabled leg, and its remaining cannons were still firing at full regime, blasting the ground around the team and causing damage to several of its members. "But... I'm afraid we still have this thing to take care of!"

"Okay, I'm going to help out." Amuro answered. As the Mechasaurus raised one of its legs with the intent of squashing the Dijeh underfoot, the skilled Newtype quickly dodged sideways and managed to hit one the monster's remaining legs, damaging the joints and causing it to stumble once again. The Super Gundam aimed once again, and fired its Long Beam Rifle, damaging one of the brontosaurs' necks. The tide of the battle was now going right in the team's favor, and both Mazinger Z and Dancougar lined up to finish off the mighty Mechasaurus.

"Alright, Cyber Beast Force... we're going for broke on this one!" Kouji said, as the huge Mechasaurus tried to stand up again, firing aimlessly in a desperate attempt to fend off its attackers. "Just tell me when you're ready!"

Dancougar struck what looked like a guard pose, and the stoic Ryo allowed himself a small smirk as his comrades gave him a condition green signal. There was no need to say anything else for Kouji to understand, and the Mazinger pilots smirked in victory as he powered up Mazinger Z's chest plates once again, aiming at the main body of one of the two brontosaurs.

"We'll take this thing down in a single shot!" Shinobu exclaimed. Several guns popped up all over Dancougar's body, on the sides, on its ches, over its head... and they all began glowing a spectacular azure-green as they charged up a deciding attack. The damaged Mechasaurus Dai shuffled aggressively towards the two robots, but the damage Amuro had inflicted to its legs prevented it from going fast enough, and it couldn't reach its targets in time.

"Let's do it, everyone!" Shinobu exclaimed as the charge reached critical level.

"OKAY, SHINOBU!" Masato, Sara and Ryo all answered as a single voice, and the Dancougar lead pilot pressed a single button on his cloche to finalize the attack!

"**Dankuuhou Formation!**" Shinobu exclaimed, just as Kouji had finished charging up Mazinger Z's ultimate attack.

"**Breast Fiiiiiiire!**"

The results were, to put it mildly, devastating.

All of Dancougar's cannon erupted with powerful beams of azure-greenish light that condensed into a single enormous beam, while the red surge of overheated plasma once again shot out of Mazinger Z's chestplate, each attack targetting one of the two mechanical brontosaurs carrying the fortress around! One of the monsters was struck head-on by the Dankuuhou Formation, which immediately began rippng away huge metal parts from its body and dismembering it. The other dinosaur was hit by Mazinger Z's Breast Fire and began melting away, letting out a roar of impotent rage as its form sloughed away into molten metal. Both Kouji and Shinobu yelled in determination and gave even more power to their deciding attacks, and soon, one of the robotic dinosaurs was pierced from side to side by the huge beam fired by Dancougar, which exploded out of its back and dispersed in the distance, while the Breast Fire finally reached the other monster's main parts, and caused it to collapse in a pool of melted, overheated steel! Both dinosaurs toppled to the ground and went up in a huge explosion that almst knoced the whole team off their feet, and the fortress they were carrying caught fire and burned as it began exploding as well. Another blast, slightly smaller than the previous two but by no means less impressive, reduced the main part of the Mechasaurus Dai to nothing more than scattered metal parts and smoldering ruin, and soon enough, all that remained of the mighty machine of the Dinosaur Empire was a flaming wreck, dark spirals of smoke rising from its carcass.

The rescue team and Amuro's Dijeh stepped away from the place where the Mechasaurus Dai had fallen, staring at the scene in wide-eyed wonder. The silence was only broken a few moments later, when Mitsuko took a deep breath and finally uttered a few words.

"We... we did it?" she asked, as if not believing what her eyes had just seen. "We... actually brought down that huge monster? I... I still can't believe that... it's some sort of miracle!"

Amuro managed to smile a little as he turned to his impromptu passengers, who fortunately hadn't been hurt in the whole chaos. "A miracle... or simply good teamwork!" he commented. "Luckily, there was only one of those beasts... which leads me to believe this was only a pre-emptive strike to judge the strength us humans could put on the table."

"Really?" Lahge answered, keeping his cool attitude despite the battle he had just survived. He silently thanked his good star for allowing him and Mitsuko to meet with Amuro Ray, or they wouldn't have survived. "Well, at any rate... we survived, and that's what is important for now."

"Indeed..." Amuro agreed, before turning to the rest of the rescue team and saluting. "I apologize for you having to bail me out of this mess. Lt. Amuro Ray, formerly of Karaba, reporting in for duty."

"It's good to see you, Lt. Ray!" Katz answered, responding with a salute of his own while the rest of the rescue team stood on attention. The reputation of the White Devil of the Federation was such that even young upstarts like Katz knew and respected him.

Sayla smiled warmly at seeing her White Base comrade once again. "It's no problem, Amuro. We were more than glad to help. And we have to thank you for helping us take out that Mechasaurus."

"Sayla Mass..." Amuro said wistfully. "I thought you had nothing to do with the chaos that's sweeping over the Earth Sphere now..."

Sayla lowered her gaze a little and smiled ruefully. "That's what I've been trying to do. But just as you said, these are difficult times for us all, and I felt like I had to help out somehow. Even if I wasn't the best pilot, or crewmember, I just couldn't sit aside and let things happen."

"I understand..." Amuro said. "And speaking of which, I have two people here with me in the cockpit. They ask to be picked up and join us... I reckon they were prisoners of Neo Zeon just like I was."

Everyone's comm screen panned sideways to show Lahge and Mitsuko standing uncomfortably in the Dijeh's cockpit, and the green-haired young man cleared his throat before addressing the rescue team. "I apologize for the disturbance. My name is Lahge Montoya, and my friend here with me is Mitsuko Saiki. We were captured by Neo Zeon a few hours ago... and we took advantage of the chaos you threw the enemy into to escape and help Lt. Ray escape as well." he said. "I know it might be a problem for you, but... we would ask you to help us and take us onboard."

There was just a moment of hesitation from the rescue team, before Kouji scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Well... it wouldn't be a problem for us, we did come to rescue Lt. Ray after all, and taking a couple more people with us would be no problem. But we need to talk to Prof. Hazuki about that, since he's the one in charge of the Gandora."

"The Gandora?" Mitsuko asked in confusion... and just then, the gigantic dragon-shaped battleship tht acted as a launch base to the Dancougar Team rose above the hills, creating a storm of howling winds and scattered leaves all around the area! In awe, Mitsuko and Lahge stared at the gigantic ship as it hovered close to the ground and leaned its neck downwards, glaring at the whole team with glowing, fiery red eyes.

"_Gandora here. This is Professor Hazuki speaking._" the voice of the middle-aged professor reached the communicator devices of the whole team. "_I can see that you already did a great job here, despite that unpredicted problem about that Mechasaurus. You did an impressive job taking it out... you can now head back to the hangar. And as for Lt. Ray and the two newcomers... of course they are welcome to find refuge onboard our ship. The alliance of Japan's most important research laboratiories will provide all the assistance it can._"

"Wow... so, that's the Gandora? The battleship you were talking about?" Mitsuko asked, still stunned at the impressive sight. "I have to say... I've never seen anything quite like it! Although this does leave me with a few questions..."

Hazuki chuckled gently, as the Gandora finally shut off its engines and lowered itself on the ground, allowing the team to get onboard. "_I will be more than glad to answer all the questions you might possibly have, young lady. For now, let me wlcome you onboard the Gandora, the battleship whose design I personally masterminded, created to be a symbol for the Cyber Beast Force._"

"The Cyber Beast Force? That means that guy is your boss, from what I could gather..." Lahge asked, communicating with Dancougar and its four pilots.

"Exactly. But this isn't quite the time to stay here and make small talk." Ryo cut the conversation short. "We have managed to repel the Neo Zeon troops and the Mechasaurus, but it won't be long before they will be on our tracksagain. We need to get away from here now that we can."

"For any further questions, you can ask Prof. Hazuki." Sara concluded, with a nod of her head. Lahge and Mitsuko looked at each other, and seeing no other reasonable way out of that, decided that they might as well join this group. It would be a temporary respite from the various warring faction, and a chance to get to know more about this strange age they had ended up into...

"Hold on a second, before we go away!" Mitsuko asked. "I knowthis place is dangerous, but we need to get back something that was stolen from us by the Neo Zeon forces, and we cannot let it fall in their hands. Do we have permission to head back inside the base and recover it?"

"Lahge and Mitsuko asked me the same thing earlier on, before we ran into Yazan Gable." Amuro stated. "If what they have left there is truly as important as they say, we cannot let it remain there for anyone to get. We need to recover it. And I don't think it will take more than half an hour."

Professor Hazuki frowned a little, knowing just how precious time could be under such circumstances... but he knew that Amuro did have a point, and leaving a potentialy powerful weapon or secret in Neo Zeon's hands (or worse) could have had terrible consequences in the future. Therefore, he relented and allowed for a search. "_Fine then. Fujiwara, you and the rest of the Cyber Beast Force head back into the base and recover what our guests require. Can you give us a description of what it looks like?_"

Mitsuko smiled in gratitude. "You can't possibly miss it, it's some sort of empty exoskeleton, or if you will, a purple-colored armor with a pack of remote-controlled laser cannons mounted on its back. Neo Zeon wanted to make it into a new weapon for their own war... and you have no idea how grateful we are for letting us recover it!"

"Heh. Anything to spite those Neo Zeon assholes, and to please a pretty lady." Shinobu Fujiwara shrugged off her thanks with a cocky grin, while inside her own cockpit, Sara shook her hea at her comrade's avances towards the rescued hostage. "So, just wait there for a few minutes and we'll bring back that armor-thing."

"So, let's not waste any more time, everybody." Masato concluded. "Let's begin our search!" 

Lahge and Mitsuko turned to each other and smiled as Dancougar ponderously stepped into the ruined Neo Zeon base and began searching. At least, that was one problem solved, even though more ofthem wee certainly going to pile up, and they still were no closer to finding Fiona...

**oooooooooo**

A short time later, in an underground throne room, ominously lit up by torches and dim lights, an hulking humanoid monster with crimson red skin, a traditional-looking armor, and horns jutting out of his head bowed respectfully in front of a large throne, upon which another member of his kind, only even larger and more impressive to see than he himself was, was sitting, apparently waiting for news. The sight of his henchman entering his throne room and bowing to him was enough to distract the Oni Emperor from his reverie, and he turned to his soldier with a menacing glare, coupled with a confident smirk.

"Emperor Brai, my lord and master..." the henchman began. "I have come to report the results of the pre-emptive attack we launched upon the humans."

The mighty overlord nodded slowly, signalling to his henchman to go on, and the underling quickly nodded before continuing his report. "The Mechasaurus Dai we sent inflicted great damage upon the Neo Zeon base, forcing the colonial troops to retreat, and engaged several Earth robots in battle, anaging to fight them to a standstill before being destroyed by a joint attack from Mazinger Z, Dancougar and an as-of-yet unidentified Mobile Suit, possibly piloted by Federation ace Amuro Ray. All in all, we can consider this test to be satisfactory."

"Indeed, it was quite a good fight those puny humans put on... heh, so Dr. Hell was not exaggerating when he said that Mazinger Z is one tough cookie." Brai said, letting ou a deep, humourless chuckle. "Well then, that just means we have someone more than that damnable Getter Robo to think about. Fine... after all, this is exactly the reason why I asked for this alliance. Henchman, transmit this message to all of our allies - we will be gathering here in 24 hours to discuss the next part of our plan, and organize an all-out offense again our common enemies. We must not fail!"

"It shall be done on the double, Emperor Brai, my lord." the soldier answered, before doing a salute and politely walking out of the throne room. Brai smiled in satisfaction and leaned back in his throne, then summoned his right-hand-man with a single snap of his fingers. "Hidler. You may come. I have new orders."

The Hundred Oni Empire's military leader, a lean individual who uncannily resembled the infmus Adolf Hitler, only with a pair of thin horns growing out of his temples, walked at his Emperor's side. "Yes, my lord Brai? I take it that the testing of the Mechasaurus Dai against the gathered Earth robots has produced satisfactory results." he ventured in an unctuous, sanctimonious voice.

"It did, that much is clear." Brai answered with a nod. "A single Mechasaurus Dai was able to put all those wretched Earthlings on the ropes, and had it not been for Amuro Ray intervening, it would have given them even more trouble before being taken out. Therefore, Hidler, my next order is to ramp up the power of all the Mechasaurus units we have managed to get our hands on. The moment we unleashed their fury upon the puny Earthlings will be the moment of the final triumph of the Hundred Demon Empire!"

Hidler chuckled, making a Nazi-like salute with his right hand. "Of course, my lord! That goes without saying, I dare comment." he answered. "As for the production of more Mecha Oni, should we continue with it?"

"Of course." Brai growled, and from the tone of his voice, it could be inferred thathe considered that a pointless question. "The Mechasaurus units are powerful and reliable, but we cannot base our whole strategy upon them. They have the same weakness any machine has, while our Mecha Oni are manned. And if there is one thing I've learned from the humans, is never to underestimate the human factor when it comes to fighting. Our soldiers will provide a much-needed backup for when simple machines cannot hack it."

"Of course, my lord. Pardon my question." Hidler apologetically asked, before bowing to his lord and walking away, leaving Emperor Brai alone in the throne room, thoughts of the impeding triumph of the Hundred Demon Empire filling his mind...

**oooooooooo**

"Hmm, I see." Lahge said, as he sat along with Sayla, Katz and Amuro in one of the Gandora's lounges. Mitsuko had politely declined remaining there, as she was eager to see her beloved Excellence-C get carried on board. "So... the laboratories all over Japan have decided to form a cooperation of sorts in order to face all the enemies that are surfacing in recent times. And the Gandora is being used as sort of a mobile base of operations. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that's pretty much it." Sayla confirmed. "At the moment, nothing really major has happpened... at least, not until that huge Mechasaurus came out and began attacking everyone. We need to investigate this further, but we already have quite a few concerns. Namely, the fact that the Dinosaur Empire, the faction that used those Mechasaurus units as weapons, was supposed to have been destroyed several months ago by Getter Robo, the creation of the Saotome Laboratories, one of our foremost allies in this war."

"The Dinosaur Empire..." Lahge murmured to himself, somewhat recalling that nme among the many invaders tht seemed to have taken advantage of the period of relative peace reigning in the Earth Sphere to throw everything in disarray. "I understand. Mitsuko and I are not pilots, but a certain person we are looking for is very skilled in that department, and I think she would be willing to aid you in this struggle. Provided we find her alive and well, that is."

"We will do our best to help you find her." Katz answered. "Our allies have access to many resources, and we are in contact with important corporations such as Morgenroete and Nergal. They will certainly share some of their resources to locate your friend. We'll have to talk to Professor Hazuki about it, but I'm sure we can reach a compromise."

Lahge smiled slightly and nodded. "Thank you, Mitsuko and I definitely appreciate it." he said. "In the meantime, what will be our next move?"

"We will be heading to Nanbara Corporation, the closest of our current operative bases, in order to refuel and reorganize ourselves." the voice of Professr Hazuki stated, as the doors on the other side of the lounge slid open, and the commander of the Cyber Beast Squad entered the large room. Everyone instinctively stood up from their seats and stood at attention as Hazuki motioned for them to be at ease with a simple gesture of his hand. "We... need to further research into the Mechasaurus units, and warn the Saotome Laboratories of the incoming threat as well. At the moment, we sand at an unknown place, and we have no way of predicting what will happen next."

"Not to mention, Neo Zeon isn't going to take kindly to the raid you jut pulled off." Amuro added. "Sure, I am grateful you came to rescue me, and you pulled it off in a competent way... butyou've also made yurselves targets for those people. I'd also like to addthat I'm not the only one they're after. At the moment, their leader Hamaan Kahn is gathering allies in space, particularly among Giganos Empire and ZAFT... and their sleeper cells on Earth are trying to capture powerful Newtypes and force them to work for them."

Sayla nodded. "We have also confirmed tha several surviving members of the Titans work for Neo Zeon right now." she stated. "We have confirmed the presence of Jerid Mesa, Mouar Pharaoh, Yazan Gable and Sarah Zabiarov among them... and I wouldn't be surprised if somebody else was along for the ride."

Lahge nodded, realizing much to his chagrin that even now that he and Mitsuko had somehow ended up in the past, things were not much easier for humanity. Dekim Barton had not realized his coup yet, but it was just a matter of time before things escalated to that level...

**oooooooooo**

On board the Neo Zeon battleship known as Mindora...

Not that the Neo Zeon officers were happy campers themselves... especially Rakan, who was just then communicating the bad news to one of his commanding officer - a young man of average height with short blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a dark blue uniform with light brown shoulder pads and boots, and some sort of red plate on the left side of his chest, emblazoned with what looked like a coiling golden snake. Needless to say, he didn't look very pleased with what Rakan was telling him.

"_What do you men, Amuro Ray escaped_?" he asked in displeasure. "_And not only that, you are still nowhere close to recovering Kamille Bidan... and you lost the entire settlement to an attack from an unknown source? I expected such blunders from people like Mashmyre and Kyara, certainly not by someone such as you, Sgt. Rakan Dahkaran!_"

"I... won't give excuses, Commander Glemy Toto." Rakan answered, swallowing his pride. "We were attacked by the Gandora team, and were caught off guard, but we were managing to keep them at bay. At least until that huge beast came out of the ground and began destroying everythng."

Glemy sighed and shook his head. "_And why do you think I had you coming down to Earth? This mistake is not going to look good in your resumes at all._"

"I know about it." Rakan admitted. "But I will do my very best to bring back those two. Just... allow me some time to locate them."

"_Hmph. Okay, but I'll be expecting a full report about it, and soon._" Glemy answered as the image on the comm screen began fading. "_Good luck. I think you'll need it._"

Rakan saluted as his commanding officer disappeared from the screen... and Jerid Mesa, who was standing only a few steps behind, shook his head angrily. "Feh. Those guys giving orders from space sure are relaxed about it..."

**oooooooooo**

"So... this is the famed Excellence-C? And you were the one who built it? That's quite impressive, I have to say." Shinobu Fujiwara commented, as he stood along with Kouji, Sayaka, Sara, Ryo and Masato in the Gandora's hangar, admiring that part of Mitsuko and Lahge's masterpiece. The young researcher was taking a look at the purple exoskeleton, as if she was glad that it was mostly unscathed, and wanted to spend some time with it.

"And it acts as a modular par for another robot, if I understood correctly." Kouji went on. "Simply put, there's a cockpit that lodges inside the exoskeleton... and whenever someone wants, he can ditch the current module and get into another. Well, this makes it a very versatile machine! Nice idea you had!"

Mitsuko smiled shyly, secretly thinking that it was ironic that she couldn't tell them the real reason her Excellence was so special - the very same reason she, Lahge and Fiona were now stuck in the past. "Thank you... but I can't hog all the credit, you know. Lahge helped me a lot, and Fiona... well, let's just say the Excellence-C woudn't be where it is now without her. And I'm afraid that it can't do much anyway, unless we find her..."

Seeing how worried Mitsuko was over her best friend, Sayaka nodded and put an hand on Mitsuko's shoulderto confort her. "Hey, don't worry yourself too much about it... we still need to thank you for helping us bail Lt. Ray out of that prison camp, so rest assured that we will do what we can to help you find this Fiona person. Souds like someone I'd be glad to get to know anyway!"

"Yeah, you can say that again, Sayaka! We are in the same boat after all!" Masato intervened, and when Mitsuko looked at the young man, she could see that both he and his comrades seemed very keen and serious about keeping that promise. Her worries going away for the moment, Mitsuko smiled and nodded to the Cyber Beast Force and the duo from the Photon Power Lab.

"Everybody... thank you! This means a lot to me!" Mitsuko said with a smile, thinking that, for the first time ever since she had woken up from the time jump, things were looking up at long last...

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	26. Arrival on the Moon

**Super Robot Taisen S**

**I'm back, everybody! And this time, I'm here to stay, at least for a good while! Yeah, after sorting up a few things in my life, I was finally able to start working on this story once again, and I have got quite a few ideas on how to make it continue! Of course, this means that there will be even more surprises ready for you... but let's do things one at a time, and let's not get overwhelmed, okay?**

**First off, I have to say that I am immensely enjoying the mecha series I am currently watching, such as Rinne No Lagrange, Dancougar or AKB0048, and I wouldn't put it outside of the realm of possibilities to throw myself into a new project that encompasses a few new mecha series as well. But this is news for another time, and another place.**

**Also, I am greatly pleased that Demonbane is finally appearing in the latest Super Robot Taisen episode, UX for the Nintendo 3DS. Of course, that presents kind of a problem with the fact that the 3DS is region locked, but still... still, I'm glad to see that one of my everytime favourites is in! Sure, it's the anime, which is a watered-down version of the visual novel, but I am satisfied with it nonetheless.**

**Last time, we had left Lahge and Mitsuko on the run from Neo Zeon, after helping break out Amuro Ray and helping the crew of the Gandora with the unexpected assault of a gigantic Mechasaurus. Luckily, our plucky scientists have managed to convince the crew to let them tag along, which for now is ther best chance at finding Fiona once again... but what about Fiona herself, who is still on the Nadesico? Last time we saw the Nadesico, it was on the run from the Meganoids, and it had managed to enter a Tulip which hopefully will bring them to a safer place... and in this episode, we will see whether this gambit actually paid off. Oh, and let's not forget, they have a Jovian prisoner on board! A prisoner that might actually be a problem to Nergal and some higher-ups in the Earth Union, as he is living proof of the real identity of the Jovian Lizards...**

**As you can see, there are quite a few things still up in the air, and we will see how that will turn out. This episode, in fact, will once again focus on the Nadesico team and their struggle to get back to Earth... even though, I probably wasn't able to put up too much of a chapter, as this is my shortest one yet.**

**But, once again, I'll leave it to you, and I'll wait for you to leave a review! Thank you for your continued support... and I hope to see you again soon!**

**Enjoy!**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 26 - Arrival on the Moon**

Von Braun, the first permanent human settlement on the Moon, was a huge underground city that had been estabilished not long after humanity had begun colonizing the moon, and had mostly managed to stay away from the conflicts that had plagued the Space Century for so long. Currently away from the control of both the Earth Union and the Lunar Empire of Giganos, it was home to a branch of both Anaheim Electronics and Nergal, and was still a very important point of reference for anyone who travelled in the Moon's proximities. By staying close to the city, most vessels had managed to remain undisturbed.

This was the scenario that the Nadesico found when, its Boson Jump ended, it had reappeared seemingly out of nothing. Anyone who could have been present in that particular moment would have probably seen nothing but the vast expanse of space for a few minutes... then, without any warning other than an almost invisible ripple in the darkness, the gigantic mobile battleship reappearing in all of its glory. A few strange, otherworldly colours danced briefly around the Nadesico as its Distortion Field stabilized, having protected the ship and its occupants from the dangers of a shift through time and space. And soon after, a still calm befell the area again, only disturbed by the sound of the Nadesico's engines functioning.

The Boson Jump had been a complete success, saving the crew from the clutches of the Meganoids...

Which the crew would have surely been ecstatic about, if at the moment they weren't sleeping like so many logs. For some reason, all members of the crew had collapsed as soon as the Boson Jump had ended, falling in a deep sleep. What's more, many of them weren't even in the same place they were at when the Nadesico had entered the Tulip... they had seemingly been teleported to another place in the massive spaceship.

Ruri Hoshino, the only member of the crew that had managed, for some reason, not to drop like a sack of rice, blinked as she realized that there were several people sleeping on the main bridge, lying on the cold hard floor like it was a bed of soft feathers. This, however, did not seem to bother the electronic fairy that much, and she glanced at Omoikane's screens in order to ascertain the ship's conditions.

"The Nadesico is returning to normal space. Currently calculating our position." Ruri said. As nobody answered, the pre-teen genius girl raised her glance ever so slightly and looked around, finally seeing the state most of the crew was in. Mr. Hory and Mr. Prospector were slumped in their chairs just beside the Captain's seat, while Minato and Megumi were lying with their heads on their consoles, as if they were using them as pillows. There were a few people lying on the bridge as well - namely, Fiona, Banjou and Topp. The redhaired girl was lying on her back, holding her casted arm close to her body, and seemed to be muttering something in her sleep... while Banjou and Topp were lying in a semi-seated position near Ruri's seat, both of them snoring loudly - and their snoring was pretty much the only sound that came from the bridge, aside from the quiet beeping of the instruments. Without changing expression, Ruri opened a few screens showing other rooms in the huge battleship, and saw that the rest of the crew had fallen asleep in several areas, seemingly unrelated to each other. Ryoko was slumped against the wall just outside of her room, snoring gently, while Hikaru was lying on her bed in a somewhat awkward position, smiling blissfully as she murmured something... and Izumi had managed, for some reason, to fall asleep in the hangars, close to her emerald-colored custom Aestivalis. However, what left Ruri most surprised - not that anyone might have known by simply looking at her - was that Akito, Gai, Yurika and Inez were lying in the virtual room, the place where the crewmembers gathered to relieve themselves of stress and spend time in an environment similar to that of Earth. Thanks to advanced virtual reality engines and projectors, the virtual room was able to recreate the image of pretty much every possible location on Earth... and at the moment, it was giving off the projection of a lush green hill covered in soft grass, upon which the four people in question were lying asleep.

"Everyone? Please wake up. Return to your positions and observe emergency conditions." Ruri said, hoping to get some kind of response. To no avail, as the whole crew remained aslee and blissfully ignorant of anything that was going on...

"Captain?" Ruri ventured again, this time focusing on Yurika, who was sleeping on her side, close to Akito. This attempt actually managed to get some reaction out of the blue-haired captain, who moaned in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes to look around herself... then promptly woke up with a start when she saw Ruri's comm screen appearing so close to her face. "Captain, we have returned to normal space. Why are you in the virtual room, right now?"

"Eeeeh? Oh... hi, Ruri... What... what do you mean..." Yurika answered, her words still a little slurred from sleep. As she came back to full consciousness, the blue-haired captain blinked in surprise as she saw where exactly she was, and then looked down at the others that had ended up in the virtual room along with her. On her left was Gai, who was lying facedown on the grass, looking uncharacteristically peaceful and quiet... and on her right were Akito and Inez who, much to Yurika's embarassment and jealousy, had ended up somehow joining hands! "Kyah! That's... that's inappropriate, you two!" Yurika exclaimed, making haste to separate their hands and somehow managing not to wake them up completely. As Akito began stirring, Yurika quickly recomposed herself and cleared her throat. "Er, sorry about that, little Ruri... we... we have managed to complete our Boson Jump, then? Where are we now? Are there enemies in sight?"

"Omoikane is checking our current position as we speak." Ruri answered. "At a first glance, however, I think we can safely say that we have landed in the proximities of Von Braun City, just outside the sphere of influence of the Lunar Empire of Giganos. No Jovian Lizard detected in the vicinities. However, all crewmembers except for myself have suffered an unexplainable drowsiness, and some of them are misplaced with respect to the places they were in before the jump."

Yurika rubbed her eyes in order to wash away the lethargy she still felt, all the while Akito and Gai were beginning to stir. "I... understand, Ruri. I'll be back on the bridge as son as possible." she answered. "Oh, by the way... it seems Akito and Ensign Yamada are coming to as well."

"Hmm... Daigouji... the name's Gai Daigouji..." the Gekiganger otaku murmured as he began standing up. "Damn, I feel like I've been sleeping for years... what sort of messed-up trick is that? And why on Earth are we in the virtual room?"

"I... have no idea about it..." Akito answered. "But... we managed to escape the Meganoids, right? We... we are safe now, aren't we?"

"Relatively speaking, I'd surmise we are." Ruri answered, one again her tone not changing one iota. "However, we do not know how long that will last. Futhermore, I'd like to remind everyone that we do have a Jovian prisoner on board, and it is a safe bet that they will send others to bring him back to their HQ."

"The Jovian...?" Akito began to inquire. He grit his teeth and almost smacked himself on the forehead when he remembered about the enemy they had defeated and captured while on Mars, a discovery that would surely bring quite a lot of consequences. That the enemy aliens from Jupiter they were fighting against were human all along... "Uh... by the way, where is he now? What has he been doing?"

"At the moment, he's being held in a safe cell. He still hasn't regined consciousness, but that is not unexpected. He will probably wake up within the hour, and we will question him as soon as possible." came the answer from the child prodigy. As Yurika, Akito and Gai stood up, dusting themselves off, the blue-haired captain turned to Inez, who was still lying on the ground in a deep sleep.

"We understand... Ruri, as soon as everyone is awake, have a medical tam do a few check-ups and take Ms. Fressange to the medical wing. We need to confirm that the Boson Jump has not done lasting damage to our bodies. As for Ms. Grayden... where is she now?" Yurika asked.

Ruri nodded. "It will be done. As for Ms. Grayden, she's currently here on the bridge, and appears to be waking up. She appears to be unharmed as well."

"Okay, Ruri... I'll be there in a moment." Yurika concluded, as she placed her hat back on her head. "Akito... Mr. Daigouji... could you please accompany me? I'm feeling a little uneasy about all this."

"Sure thing, Yurika..." Akito answered, rubbing his forehead to clear his own dizziness. He couldn't help but shake the feeling that he had already gone through something like that not too long ago, and that there was more than met the eye about the whole deal. He just hoped that Inez was going to be able to give some satisfying answers as soon as she came to...

**oooooooooo**

Luckily, the Boson Jump's only side effects were limited to the Nadesico crew falling into that deep slumber as soon as they were out of the wormhole they had fallen in. The Tulip had acted exactly how Fiona had predicted, taking the team away from danger and leaving the Meganoids empty-handed. However, there were some more issues at hand, and as the Nadesico crew woke up and helped up those who were still asleep, the issues at hand began to surface.

"Owww... man, I didn't expect that..." Seiya Uribatake murmured as he adjusted his jacket and his glasses. He had ended up sleeping on the cold hard floor of the hangar bay, and his back was now aching quite badly. "Can I please know what the Hell just happened? Did we really... teleport... away from Mars and end up on the freaking Moon, of all places?"

"If you're worried about Giganos Empire attacking, that's a rather remote possibility." Reika answered, walking past him. "We're outside of their sphere of influence just now, and I don't think they will risk approaching Von Braun too much, unless of course they want a diplomatic incident to take place. What I'm more worried about is the matter of the Jovians..."

"Yeah... we've gotten a friend of theirs, and we can expect them to attack as soon as they organize themselves. Wouldn't be surprised if they already had an idea where we're going." Seiya answered. He picked up his mechanic tools from the floor and placed them in his case, taking care to put everything in its proper case. "Man, there's just no rest for the weary, huh?"

"And about that..." Reika went on. "There's this one thing that worries me quite a lot, and that's our discover of the fact that the Jovian Lizards are apparently humans just like you and I. The Earth Union probably knew this and kept everyone in the dark about it, for their own reasons. We're going to have to get some answers out of the prisoner, if we are to understand something more about the whole deal."

Seiya nodded, as he began walking around the hangar in order to see if any of the units needed his attention. What had begun as a simple search and rescue mission was turning out to be much more dagerous than anyone had thought possible... and nobody had a single inkling that things were about to get much, much worse soon...

**oooooooooo**

Fiona slowly opened her eyes and shook her head as she felt something warm and damp being pressed on her forehead... and as soon as she did that, she found herself on a seat, on the Nadesico's main bridge, with Akito and Ryoko bent over her in worry. The Nadesico's cook cum pilot was holding a damp cloth pressed to the redhead's forehead, while Ryoko kept trying to fan her.

"Owww... what... what just happened?" Fiona asked, shaking her head as she realized that the Nadesico and its crewmembers were all still in one piece. "We... we managed it, right? We... got away from the Meganoids, didn't we?"

Akito smiled slightly, glad that Fiona seemed to be doing okay. "Yes... we managed to escape, and we brought the Mars colonists with us as well... it's all thanks to you, Fiona, you really helped us a lot! I don't know if we could have done it without your help!" he said, stepping back as to allow Fiona some breathing room.

"I have to admit, you were pretty impressive as a pilot too." Ryoko said, nodding in approval. "I don't give out praises so lightly, girl, so consider that an honor."

"Hehee... thanks, Ryoko, I'll remember that!" Fiona answered with a short giggle. After adjusting the sling her still-healing arm was in, Fiona took a couple of deep breaths and tentatively stood up, finding her balance only a couple seconds later. "What about the rest of the crew? Are they all doing well?"

"So it seems..." a confident but still somehow sleepy voice answered as Haran Banjou walked up to Akito, Fiona and Ryoko. "We were pretty much all knocked out when we reappeared, but other than that, nothing was a problem."

Fiona could sense, from the way Banjou had said those words, that there was something the young billionairie was not going to mention at that moment, but decided not to press further, as there were more pressing matters to attend to. "I... I understand... and where did that Tulip take us? Did we... appear in a safe place?"

"We're close to Von Braun, the largest human settlement on the Moon that's still outside of the influence of Giganos Empire." Banjou answered, looking out of a window. The Nadesico's bridge had now almost returned to normal, and pretty much all the operators had retaken their places. "However, we are now concerned with the Jovian pilot Garrison brought on board. He should be waking up anytime now... so that we can question him about a few things that have been on our minds for a while."

Fiona nodded, trying to look more surprised than she actually was. It was not yet time to reveal that she was from the future... "I understand..." she answered. "You... don't mind if I go see the prisoner, right?"

"I think that would not be advisable, Miss Grayden." Garrison answered, appearing next to Banjou. "The prisoner might be dangerous and willing to fight in order to regain his freedom. And with your left arm still unusable, you would not be able to fight back were he to attack you. However, if you insist on being present to the questioning, I am not going to stop you from doing so."

"It would still be a good idea for someone more trained than you are to be present, anyway. Just in case." Ryoko suggested. "Maybe Lt. Daigouji and I could be there."

With a nod, Fiona acknowledged Ryoko had a point. "Okay, I certainly won't argue with that."

"I'm coming as well, then!" Akito exclaimed, tightly clenching his hand into a fist. As Fiona, Ryoko, Banjou and Garrison all turned to him, they saw that the young man's face has taken on a dangerous scowl, which was hardly surprising considering what he had gone through because of the Jovians. "Please... I need to come and see the face of those who destroyed the Mars colonies. Maybe, if I did that... I might begin being a little more at peace with myself. Please, this is a favour I'm asking you."

There was a deep, thoughtful silence which lasted for the better part of the following minute, before Banjou sighed and gave his answer. "I suppose... you could come with us. Provided you don't make too much of a scene and you don't try to strangle the prisoner as soon as he wakes up." the young Daitarn 3 pilot answered, casting Akito a meaningful glance. The brown-haired young man sustained Banjou's glance and answered with a short, determined nod of his head. "Well... if that is the case, you can go as well. Now get going, everyone. I think that Jovian pilot will have quite a few things to tell us."

"Oh, I have no trouble believing it..." Fiona answered with a short, humourless chuckle as she began following Ryoko and Akito towards the prison block...

**oooooooooo**

"So... this is the Jovian pilot Mr. Garrison captured?" Ryoko Subaru asked, taking a good, surprised look at the young man sitting in the cell, safely contained by a set of iron bars. All of them were very surprised, not just for the confirmation that, indeed, they were dealing with actual humans instead of the inhuman monstrosities they were always led to believe the Jovian Lizards were... but the pilot looked like a slightly older, somewhat better-kempt version of Gai, complete with huge sideburns and long hair combed into a fringe that went to his forehead and almost covered his eyes. He was wearing a strange piloting suit that resembled the one worn by one of the heroes of Gekiganger 3 - to be exact, his azure-and-blue spandex suit, as well as his hairstyle and the blue visor he had on his eyes, made him look very similar to that anime's male lead, Ken Tenku, the main pilot of the titular robot. However, the expression on the Jovian pilot's face was somewhat calmer and more rational than the hot-blooded Gekiganger pilot...

"A human..." Akito murmured, almost tiredly. However, Ryoko and Fiona could hear that therewas a great deal of anger in those words...

"I can't believe it... he looks just like me!" Gai exclaimed as he noticed the uncanny resemblance there was between the two of them. However, the Jovian pilot didn't seem to be very interested in wasting time, and gave the team a stern glance from the other side of the bars.

"I, Tsukumo Shiratori of the Jovian Empire's Army, will not yield to you, evil Earthlings." he said menacingly... managing to severely piss off Gai in the process. The hot-blooded Gekiganger fan walked up to the iron bars and grabbed them, making some noise in order to get the Jovian's attention.

"Hey, you!" he shouted. "What the heck do you mean by 'evil Earthlings'? You are the alien jerks who attacked us, not the other way around! And what's with that Gekiganger suit you're wearing? That's just shameful, a bunch of evil alien invaders mocking Gekiganger 3 in this way!"

That actually provoked a reaction from the Jovian pilot named Tsukumo Shiratori, who stood up from his seat and walked up the bars, angrily glaring at Gai straight in the eye! "Hey! Watch what you're saying, evil Earthling! Last time I check, you were the ones chasing us away!"

"Say WHAT?" Gai countered. The two of them, with only the bars of the cell separating them, were now engaged in a glaring contest with each other, complete with red sparks from their eyes... until Ryoko sighed in annoyance and decided to break them up. The green-haired ace pilot stepped up and pushed the two hotheads away from each other, leaving them to sputter in surprise and outrage!

"Okay, you two blockheads, that's enough! We're here to get some answers out of this guy, and your bickering isn't helping!" she exclaimed, before affixing Tsukumo with a ferocious glare that still failed to hide her amazement. "And whaddya mean, we were the ones chasing you away? We didn't even know you Jovians were human until we brought your sorry ass on the ship!"

Tsukumo calmed down quickly, but still kept glaring at the green-haired pilot, while Akito took something out of his pocket and showed it to Tsukumo. "And by the way... what's with that piloting suit? And this picture of Gekiganger? How do you know about this anime?" the pilot / cook asked in sincere confusion.

Tsukumo seemed to freak out for a moment and reached forward from between the bars of his cell, snatching the small picture from Akito's hands and holding it to his chest, with an extremely flustered expression painted upon his face! "Ah! Hey, don't stare at it! That's my treasure!" he exclaimed, before awkwardly letting it slip from his hand and land on the floor with a clattering sound. Casting their glances downward, Akito and the others could see that it was the drawing of a beautiful girl drawn in a style reminescent of an old-school anime: Nanako Kokubunji, the female lead of Gekiganger 3, with her short brown hair, pink top and dizziness-inducing white skirt, was posing towards the viewer, winking at him in a very cute way!

"No way..." Gai murmured, shaking his head. "That's the ultra-rare picture of Nanako Kokubunji that came out with the third DVD collection of Gekiganger 3! You can't find that anywhere nowadays!"

"Damn, it's all a mess!" Ryoko cursed angrily. "Will somebody please explain to me what the heck is going on?"

Luckily for her, her question was to be answered real soon: Akito jumped backwards in surprise when a comm screen popped up right in front of him, as well as Ryoko, FionaGai and Tsukumo, showing the serene face, framed by blond hair and decorated with full ruby lips, of Ines Fressange. "_Everybody... I apologize for the delay. What you are about to see is 'The How And Why of Nadesico', the corner in which we will clear up any posssible doubts you might have about the Nadesico, its functioning, and the nature of its mission. For further information... I'll let my assistant take over from here._"

"Uh... what's this supposed to be, exactly?" Tsukumo asked, only to have the flabbergasted expressions of all three pilots as the answer. The screen soon changed, showing a background drawn in pastel colours, like the drawing of a child... and standing right in front of the screen were two familiar faces, dressed in a manner most unexpected of them!

"_Hello, everyone! Welcome to the 'How And Why Of Nadesico'!_" Yurika Misumaru happily exclaimed. At the moment, she was wearing a huge white bunny suit, complete with long ears and a rabbit-like nose with whiskers, and a huge pink papillon on her neck! "_In this corner I, Yurika the Bunny, and my little sister Ruri here will be happy to explain everything to you!_"

Ruri Hoshino was standing right beside her, wearing a pink short-sleeved shirt with hugeorange overalls and a green beret... and looking bored out of her mind. "_Please, follow us._" she deadpanned, looking to her left. "_Today, we shall talk about the Jovian Lizards, or rather, what we thought were the aliens attacking Earth from Jupiter._"

"Ooookay..." Fiona said in confusion. Ryoko, Akito and Gai all sweatdropped at the sight, and all over the Nadesico, several members of the crew were having quite diverse reactions to this strange little showing...

**oooooooooo**

"Awww, will you look at little Ruri! She's so adorable!" Minato exclaimed. The kind-hearted helmswoman, who had considered Ruri as some sort of little sister ever since the journey of the Nadesico had begun, was smiling from ear to ear as she watched the video from the comm screen near her seat.

"I agree! Whoever thought this up, sure had a lot of good taste!" Beauty answered, standing close to Minato. "Though I'm a little bummed that I didn't get to be part of it..."

"I once had to wear a costume like that, during one of my castings..." Megumi commented, rubbing her forehead as she looked at Yurika's bunny suit.

Prospector, for his part, seemed to be quite pleased with the idea. "My, my... these people sure know how to put up a surprising show! Let's watch this, Mr. Hoary, I think we'll be able to learn a lot from this!" the svelte guy with the glasses and the short mustache told his tall and buff colleague, who did not seem to share his enthusiasm.

"I question the decision to place our captain and officer in those ridiculous suits..." Mr. Hoary grumbled, rubbing the back of his head with his huge hand.

**oooooooooo**

"_As we said, this time the issue will be the Jovian Union, or Jovian Empire._" Ruri started to say. Yurika put up her hand, wanting to ask a question, as her bunny ears twitched seemingly of their own accordance! "_It seems we have a question already._"

"_Er... yes, little sister Ruri, I do have a question on behalf of all our viewers._" the captain in the bunny suit said. "_In a nutshell, what is the Jovian Union?_"

The pale-skinned genius girl nodded. "_That is a good question. The Jovian Union are the descendants of the colonists from the beginning of the Space Century, more than one hundred years ago. They claimed independence from Earth, but the rights of the Spacenoids weren't respected as much as they are nowadays._"

"Not that things are much better now..." Fiona commented to herself, with a bitter smile.

"_Their demands went unanswered, and they were banished from the Earth Sphere. This event was erased from recorded history, in order not to create bad publicity for the Earth government at the time._" Ruri went on, to which Tsukumo nodded gravely, and decided to add a little more to it.

"After that, we retreated to Mars, and found the ancient ruins. Thanks to that technology, we were able to rebuild and recover. And since then, we have been biding our time, waiting for the perfect chance to strike back at the Earth government that exiled us." the Jovian pilot said, while Akito, Gai, Ryoko and Fiona listened in silence, never missing a single word. It was nothing that Fiona didn't know, but the girl knew she had to keep up the appearence of not knowing anything until now.

"W-what? Hey... hey, hold on a damn minute here!" Gai protested, pointing to the picture of Nanako that was still lying on the cell's floor. "So... how does that explain the fact that the Jovians have Gekiganger 3?"

"_Before being expelled from the Earth Sphere, some of the Jovians had been given the complete Gekiganger 3 series from a man you should all be rather well acquainted with._" Ruri stated. "_I trust you have all heard of George Glenn, right?_"

Bunny Yurika twitched her ears. "_Er... isn't he that super-smart guy who revealed himself to the first Coordinator ever? He was a genius scientist who got a doctorate at age 17, and an Olympic athlete to boot..._"

"_And that's just the beginning of what he was capable._" Ruri answered. "_Anyway, to stay within the topic... George Glenn gave Gekiganger 3 to the exiles before they were forced to leave the Earth Sphere, and they watched that anime as it was their only source of entertainment in those difficult times away from their homes. After so many years, Gekiganger 3 became the mainstay of Jovian culture, and for the Jovians, it became a guideline for their lives._"

"Wow..." Fiona murmured to herself. "So, long story short, all Jovians are Gekiganger otakus... still, it sounds a little strange. In the time I come from, that Genichiro guy and Lt. Saburouta weren't like that. And neither was that Hokushin guy..." She shuddered a little at her recalling of the inhuman assassin that had almost killed her thanks to his abnormally powerful Yatenkou...

"_Woe, little sister, you sure know a lot of things!_" Bunny Yurika said in a tone of wonder. Akito, as much as he was flabbergasted by the recent revelations, couldn't help but notice how good Yurika was at playing the part.

Ruri casted her glance downwards just a little bit. "_It was Miss Fressange who revealed this all to me. I am merely repeating what she told me, adding a little bit of my input._"

**oooooooooo**

Understandably, the revelations had the main bridge of the Nadesico, as well as the hostages they had rescued, all in turmoil. The news were quite shocking, and they were casting a new - and hardly flattering - light on the Earth Union government. Some of the comments were louder than others...

"But then..." Minato said, rubbing her forehead. "That means the Jovians were the victims all along, doesn't it?"

Haran Banjou shook his head, in disgreement with such a simplistic conclusion. "That's not quite so simple." the Daitarn 3 pilot commented. "Now, it is true that the Earth government did terrible things to them first. However, it should not be forgotten that the Jovians did attack Earth and the colonies, and caused the deaths of many people. While they are sympathetic, they can't just waltz up to us and say that we are the ones who were in the wrong all along."

Garrison couldn't help but agree with that. "That is true, Master Banjou. That would start looking like a schoolyard shuffle, if left unchecked."

**oooooooooo**

"Aaaargh, I can't believe it!" Gai exclaimed, pacing back and forth in anger and frustration. "So, we were duped all along! We have been fighting against our fellow Gekiganger fans! The ones who had Gekiganger 3 as their support in their lives! To say that I'm at a loss for words is the understatement of the year!"

"I can't believe it..." Ryoko muttered. "I just can't believe it..."

Akito was simply standing there, his eyes cast downwards as he tried to process hat he had just heard... and after a while, when Fiona was about to shake him out of his reverie, the brown-haired young man steeled his gaze and clenched his hands into fists at his sides. "And... exactly, how does that change anything?"

"Tenkawa?" Ryoko asked in puzzlement.

"What we've learned... doesn't change the fact that the Jovians stil attacked the Jovian colonies and killed innocent people!" Akito exclaimed, his rage mounting and causing Tsukumo to take a step backwards. "All the Utopia colony was destroyed... and we can't just forgive and forget like that! Or did you hope this sob story could actually make us reconsider, Tsukumo Shiratori? You are just as bad as those Earth Union bastards who sent you away!"

At that, much to everybody's surprise, the normally meek young man steped forward, intending to punch Tsukumo in the face... but before he could do that, Fiona grabbed his left wrist, holding him in place. "Please, Tenkawa, stop it. Nothing will be solved by fighting each other like that." she stated.

"What?" Akito asked in outrage. "I can't believe it! You're actually defend this... this murderer?"

"I would advise you to mind your words. We, of the Jovian Union, did not wish for ths violence in the first place." Tsukumo said. "We were forced into this by the Earth Union disregarding our existence and treating us like a forgotten mistake."

"Still, Akito is right - some of the blame still falls on you!" Fiona said. "Furthermore, we should have a common enemy, right? The Meganoids could also be interested in the ruins at Mars' North Pole, and..." she stopped herself when she saw the questioning stare on Tsukumo's face.

"North Pole? How do you know about that?" the Jovian pilot asked. "I only said about the ruins, but I didn't know where they were."

Fiona felt the inquisitive glares of Akito, Gai, Ryoko, and even Ruri and Yurika all affixed on her, and mentally kicked herself for that slip-up. After aking a mental note to be more careful about what she said, the redhead cleared her throat and went on. "Er... but anyway... we've got a more urgent problem here! How do we convince the Earth Union government to cease hostilities?"

"_Well..._" Yurika ventured. "_I think the best thing to do would be to take Mr. Shiratori to Earth with us, and speak directly to Foreign Vice-Minister Relena Peacecraft... I'm sure she will not ignore you!_"

"What?" Tsukumo exclaimed defensively. "No way I'm letting you use me as an example! I'd rather choose death by my own hands!"

Another comm screen opened up in front of Tsukumo, who was surprised to see the ginger-haired Minato Haruka onscreen, smiling kindly at him. "_Awww, don't be like that, Tsukumo. You should give a little more credit to us Earthlings... after all, we were the ones who created Gekiganger 3, right?_" she said, effectively disarming Tsukumo with her charm and simple logic. In fact, this was a point he had failed to consider... it was true that the Earthlings had created Gekiganger 3, an anime whose main themes were courage, love and friendship... could that mean that not all Earthlings were as cruel and savage as the Jovians depicted them?

Tsukumo's musings were interrupted by Gai clapping his hands together, calling for attention. "Hehehee... ooookay, everybody, I know it's kinda strange as an apolgy, but... why don't we watch some Gekiganger 3 together? I've got all chapters!" the young man proposed, surprising both Ryoko and Akito, though for different reasons...

Of course, that had Tsukumo pretty much jumping up in joy and grinning from ear to ear. "Is that so? Our videos have some missing parts!" he exclaimed, looking more like an enthusiastic nerd thn an ace pilot.

"Hahahaaa! That's no problem! I can give you a few copies later!" Gai laughed it off. "Tell ya what, pal, we'll talk with the captain, and I'm sure she'll agree to letting you out, under scrutiny of course... but believe me, we're going to make this work!"

Ryoko blinked. That was definitely not how she had thought it would go... but soon after, the green-haired tomboy decided it wasn't a bad result after all, and smiled to herself, putting her hands on her hips. "Well... I think we can be satisfied with this. They to seem to understand each other as Gekianger otaku, right, Tenkawa? Grayden?"

"I'm not sure about that, Ryoko..." Akito murmured. "I mean... I don't know how I should feel. I get it that the Jovians are victims... but I just can't get over the fact that we cannot simply let them off the hook like that."

"We won't let them off the hook, Tenkawa..." Fiona answered, patting Akito's shoulder and causing him to slightly turn to her. "We will make sure this war ends soon, minimizing the casualties... but believe me when I say that we're going to make sure the guilty parties are punished."

After a short while, Akito nodded, still not looking that convinced. "I hope you're right, Fiona... I really do..."

**oooooooooo**

"Phew... that was tiring!" Yurika Misumaru commented, right after getting back to her position on the Nadesico's bridge. "I mean, playing the part of the rabbit was fun, but that costume was so hot... anyway, what's the situation, everyone?"

"All is quiet until now." Reika answered. "About our next destination... will we be leaving the refugees at Von Braun, captain?"

"That would be the most advisable choice." Prospector answered, adjusting his glasses. "This not only will allow the refugees to disembark in neutral territory, away from all the fighting, but will also allow the Nadesico to undergo repair and resupply."

Yurika nodded with a smile. "That's good, then! We'll head off to Von Braun soon... and hopefully, we will not meet any kind of opposition this time!"

"Hehee... that would be good, I agree!" Banjou answered. "But... I think we should be ready to expect the worst. Journeys like this one... are never smooth sailing."

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	27. Assault on Von Braun

**Super Robot Taisen S**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 27 - Assault on Von Braun**

As he sat in his cell, waiting for the Nadesico to get to Von Braun, the Jovian soldier Tsukumo Shiratori tried to keep an eye out for whoever might have been around. He knew that his chances were slim at best, bt he was not going to just languish in that cell and wait for the Nadesico to get back to Earth. He was sure they wouldn't hand him over to the Earth Union, that much was clear... but he was not about to stay there and become a prisoner and a means for propaganda. Much to his delight, the young Jovian pilot saw that no one was in the proximities... and after searching in the pocket of his suit, he took out a small electronic device and pressed it to the automated door of his cell, before pressing a small button. There was a faint clicking sound as the electronic lock was disabled, and the door slowly opened, allowing the Jovian soldier to escape.

Tsukumo looked around and took a deep breath, before slipping in the darkened corridor and starting to make his way towards the hangars. His thoughts went back to the Earthlings he had known, especially to the one who so closely resembled him... that young, enthustiastic pilot who went by the name of Gai Daigouji. And to think that Earthlings could be Gekiganger fans just like the Jovians were...

"Gai, I'm sorry about doing this." he murmured to himself, before getting back to his escape. "But as a proud Jovian soldier, I cannot let myself become a prisoner. I am very grateful to you, anyway. I will not forget that there are Earthlings like you that believe in the values taught by Gekiganger 3."

With that, Tsukumo made sure no one was around and quickly slipped in the corridor, keeping an eye out for anything that might seem like a danger. Luckily there seemed to be no one around. The Nadesico crew was probably still disoriented and busy trying to figure out what to do after that Boson Jump from Mars, which had taken them away from the Meganoids... which meant, he had clear path to the hangars! Hopefully, he could steal one of the Aestivalis and make for outer space... but then he remembered that the Aestivalis were dependent on the Nadesico for power maintenance, and realized that he would run out of energy mere minutes after getting away! He cursed his own forgetfulness and tried to think of an alternate way to make his escape... but in his haste, he turned an angle without checking out first and bumped on someone who was coming right at that moment! The Jovian soldier staggered backwards and ended up with his back against the wall, yelping in alarm... only to find a delicate, feminine finger gently pressed upon his lips! A beautiful chestnut-haired young woman with a seductive figure and ruby lips was standing close to him, gently telling him to keep silent.

"Sssh! Please, don't make any noise... Shiratori Tsukumo, that's your name, right?" Minato Haruka, the Nadesico's helmswoman told the escaping prisoner. Blinking in surprise, Tsukumo managed to see Megumi Reinald, the ship's purple-haired comm officer, following close by, giving him a small wave of her hand as she approached. "Don't worry, we aren't going to raise an alarm... we were coming to see how you were doing, but we managed tocatch a glimpse of you hiding while we were walking this way."

"What?" Tsukumo asked dubiously. "Then what are you going to do about... well, me escaping?"

"Isn't it obvious? We're going to help you!" Megumi answered readily. "If you have to flee from the Nadesico, there is a faster way to the hangars... and your robot should still be there! We need to hurry it up though, if we don't want Mr. Uribatake to get his hands on it... and we need to warn you that it only functions somewhat."

"But why wold you help me? I mean, even if you know our story..." Tsukumo started to ask.

Minato winked innocently. "Hehehee... why, you think? Let's just say your story convinced us that you might need our help! If you were to go back and tell your people that there are Earthlings who are willing to make peace with you, that could help stopping this war." she answered. "Now, let's not waste any more time! We need to get to the hangars before we're noticed!"

After a short moment of surprise and bewilderment, Tsukumo smiled and nodded. "Of course! Thank you for your aid, noble Earthlings!" he answered as the three began making their way to the hangars. "I'll be sure to make good use of it!"

oooooooooo

Fiona took a good look at her now cast-free arm as she took a walk through the Nadesico's hangars, looking in curiosity at the huge Testujin that the Nadesico had brought onboard after downing it on Mars. It was really amazing how medical technology had progressed. As she had spent most of her life in a relatively hazard-free environment, and therefore hadn't had many chances of injuring herself, Fiona had never needed a nanomachine injection to heal a broken bone until then... and she could see that the results were impressive! In just a coupe days, at most, after her accident, she was able to move her arm without pain, and in a couple more, she would be able to use the limb back to its fullest. Well, so much the better. This way, she would have been able to pilot the Excellence more efficiently. Now, the only thing left to worry her was the fact that she still had no clue about where Lahge and Mizuho had been stranded, and as soon as they were back on Earth, she would have to redouble her efforts to find them.

"Well, at least, with Nergal backing me up a little, it shouldn't really be all that hard." she reasoned to herself, before stretching her back a little and taking a good look at the damaged Tetsujin they had brought on board. It truly was an impressive machine, now that Fiona could see it from a close yet safe distance. In spite of its obviously anime-themed appearence, it was a powerful and mobile unit, and she could easily see how such things might have caused that much trouble for the Earth Union forces back in the day...

"And then... we'll have to take a nice long look at the Phase Transition Engine and see what on Earth happened to make me go back in time." Fiona sighed, beginning to step away from the huge Jovian machine and walk back towards the Nadesico's main living quarters. She decided she might as well pay a visit to the Jovian prisoner, Tsukumo Shiratori, and try to talk to him.

She was about to turn a right and walk to the prison cell, when a strange movement caught her eye, and she turned to the other side of the hangars just in time to see three people, partially cloaked by the darkness, trying to sneak by and heading towards the inert Tetsujin. Alarmed, the red-haired girl hid herself behind one of the Aestivalis units and tried to get a good look at the three - and much to her surprise, as soon as they got close enough, he saw that they were Megumi, Minato and Tsukumo! They seemed to be on alert for any possible danger as they made their way towards the Tetsujin, with the clear intent to hijack it and get out of there!

"I really don't know how I'm going to repay you, miss Megumi... miss Minato..." the Jovian pilot said politely. "I know it must be a lot of trouble for you to do this. You should know you are going to get in trouble for helping me escape."

"Well... we'll think about that when the time comes!" Minato answered with a playful wink. "We aren't exactly sticklers for military protocol... most of us are civilians that were chosen to form the Nadesico crew because of our abilities. For example, my friend Megumi here used to be a voice actress, and I was a secretary for an important agency, before I was recruited for being the Nadesico's helmswoman."

"Oh, it was nothing much, really!" Megumi answered modestly. "I did a few parts in several shonen or magical girl anime, but I'm not exactly what you would call a celebrity."

"Still... thank you, girls. I really don't know what to do to repay you for this." Tsukumo answered with a small smile. "I will certainly do my best to make sure my Jovian comrade in arms know about the Earthlings that risked so much for what they had all the reason to see as an enemy." With that, he approached his Tetsujin and tried to climb into the cockpit... and just then, a startled Fiona came out of her hiding place, and approached the trio with a very serious expression, surprising all of them and causing Megumi to jump up in dismay.

"Ah!" the purple-haired voice actress exclaimed. "What...? Fiona? You... you were there all along?"

"Megumi... Minato! I... I was here on my own accord, and I was going away... when I saw you coming!" she exclaimed in an hurried tone. "What... what are you two doing? You are breaking out a prisoner... do you have any idea of what might happen because of this?"

Minato brought her thumb and index finger to her mouth in a gesture of clear dismay. She did know what the consequences might be, but she still couldn't help but want Tsukumo to escape. After all, from what they had learned the Jovians did have a good reason to be angry at the Earth Union government, and maybe, if Tsukumo could reach his comrades and convince them that there was someone willing to listen to their side, the war with the Jupiter Empire might have ended sooner. "Fiona, please, don't speak so loudly." the beautiful helmswoman said, in a hushed but still kind tone. "Tsukumo... er... the prisoner isn't going to do anything with the unit we captured, aside from using it to get back to his home. Megumi and I thought... that it was time somebody gave the Jovians a chance to explain themselves and demand justice for what they suffered in the past."

"I... agree with that, but you should know that you're doing a very dangerous thing!" Fiona tried to reason with the two girls. "I mean, it's a good thing this ship isn't property of the military, or else you two might have been charged with treason for letting a prisoner go without permission..."

Megumi was thinking hard of what she should say to counter Fiona's arguments, and she was about to explain herself... when an alarm sound reverberated through the hangars, and everyone raised their heads towards the flaring red lights that were now illuminating the huge room, casting sanguine flashes upon the Aestivalis units, the Excellence and Daitarn 3! Fiona frowned and worriedly stepped closer to her mecha, while Megumi, Minato and Tsukumo looked around themselves with the look of deers caught in headlights.

"What? What's going on here?" Fiona asked, just as a comm screen with Ruri's stoic, pale face upon it came up in front of her, a red light of emergency flashing beside her.

"_Warning. We are received a distress call from Von Braun._" Ruri stated dispassionately. "_A large number of Jovian units has Boson Jumped close to the city, and is now getting in position to attack. Another unknown robot has been confirmed among their numbers._"

"What? Oh my God... the Jovians must be retaliating for the fact that we got their comrade!" Megumi answered.

Tsukumo frowned, having a hunch about who could be behind that attack already. "I'm willing to bet Genichiro is heading this attack... I should expect as much from him."

"Genichiro?" Minato asked curiously, while Fiona remembered the good-looking former Jovian pilot that had become a Nergal agent in the future she had come from. Things were about to get hairy indeed...

Tsukumo nodded. "He's my best friend, and a Jovian commander just like me." he explained. "I'm fairly certain that this attack is an attempt to either rescue me from the Earthlings or pay them back for my capture, and that he asked for permission to head it."

"Then we need to stop the fighting before it gets out of hand..." Minato began to say, before the lights of the hangar turned on, and all those who were present were briefly dazzled by the brilliance. A moment later, Ryoko and the rest of the Nadesico pilots rushed into the hangar... and most of them, except Izumi who seemed to live in her own world most of the time, were quite shocked at seeing the prisoner out of his cell and about to mount his robot!

"_Megumi, Minato... I am a little unclear on the reason why the Jovian prisoner we captured on Mars is now with you._" Ruri stated, without it carrying the least amount of threat. "_You should know that, even though we are not affiliated with the military, this constitues a breach of rules._"

"Er... we can explain that, actually..." Megumi said in embarassment.

"What do you two think you were doing?" Ryoko called them out, stepping towards the comm officer and the helmswoman. "Do you have any idea what the consequences might have been? Do you think this is a romance story, or what?"

"I can't believe this... I just can't believe this..." Akito murmured, shaking his head.

"Tsukumo! What is the meaning of this?" Gai yelled out in an overdramatic way, affixing his eyes on his Jovian lookalike. "You were about to escape and attack the Nadesico? You... you betrayed my trust and toyed with my feelings by reminding me of my love for Gekiganger, right?"

"N-No, wait! I wasn't about to do anything like that!" Tsukumo protested, placing his hands in front of himself as if he was shielding himself. "It's just that... well... look, we don't exactly have the time to talk about this now! I... I just need to ask this, Earthlings. I am fairly sure that my best friend Genichiro is heading the attack on Von Braun right now. If I go out in my Tetsujin, I might be able to speak with him and convince him to pull back our forces! I... I know I'm asking much of you, and you still don't have much bases on which to trust me. But this might be our best chance to stop the attack on Von Braun with as few victims as possible!"

"And you think we're just going to believe you and let you go?" Akito asked angrily. Fiona grit her teeth, looking from one side to the other and feeling her heart rush... then, deciding that certain topics would need to wait for later, she stepped up and made a gesture for the two sides to stop bickering.

"Enough, everybody! We have an emergency here, and our squabbling isn't going to help!" she exclaimed. "Now... I am not sure myself, but I think what Tsukumo is saying is true! I say we should let him come, of course we will keep an eye on him... but we might be able to save more people if we convince the Jovians to back away!"

"Hey, whose side are you on, anyway?" Ryoko exclaimed. "I'll have you know, the captain makes the decisions about any matter pertaining this ship, and I lead the Aestivalis team in battle... you can't decide for everyone!"

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to sound that way..." Fiona apologized. "But still, I think we owe Tsukumo at least that!"

Finally, a rather weary-looking Yurika Misumaru popped up in front of all members of the crew, and began speaking. "_Please, everybody, this is not the time to quarrel. We'll let the Jovian pilot come with us and try to defuse the situation._" she said. Fiona noted that she was talking in a rather stern tone of voice, which meant she was taking this situation with the utmost seriousness. "_Of course, we'll keep an eye on him in case he might try anything... but we can allow him to sortie with us! Please, all pilots, take your places!_"

"You heard the captain! We need to go!" Haran Banjou said, coming up from behind the Aestivalis pilots while donning his helmet. Reika, Beauty and Topp were right behind, waving at him and bidding him good luck. "Thanks, guys, I will be back safely... I have my reservations as well, but we need to save Von Braun first! Remember, only target the Battas and the unmanned units."

"Okie dokie!" the bubbly Hikaru exclaimed, getting ready to climb in her orange Aestivalis' cockpit. "But after that we want to hear everything from you, Megumi and Minato!" she added in a playful way, not really taking the whole thing too seriously.

Akito sighed. Once again, this was a situation where his opinion had little bearing... he had to trust Yurika and Fiona's judgement and hope things would go well. Therefore, he rushed to his Aestivalis, not before giving Tsukumo a meaningful stare. "Alright then, we'll be trusting you for this one, I guess." Akito answered. "Please... do not betray our trust, Tsuumo Shiratori."

"Do not worry. I am in your debt, after all." the young Jovian soldier answered with a small nod. "And even that aside, a true Gekiganger fan never goes back on his words, right?"

Gai managed to smile at that. "Heh... guess we already understand each other more than I hoped, Tsukumo Shiratori!" he answered. "Let's Gekiga-In! I'm chomping at the bit for some hot-blooded action!"

"_You'll get your chance soon enough, pilot Yamada... er, I mean, Daigouji_." Yurika answered, quickly correcting herself. "_Remember what Mr. Banjou said. If possible, only fight to defend yourselves, and only to destroy the unmanned units! Make sure Mr. Shiratori can speak to his comrades and persuade them to retreat!_"

"Alright... I just hope you made the right decision, Yurika..." Akito murmured. Sometimes, he had an hard time trusting his childhood friend's judgement...

oooooooooo

"Everyone, separate in two lines and try to catch those Jovian unmanned units between two fronts! Somebody keep that giant monster occupied!" an Earth Union commander barked out at the rest of his troops, in a pitched battle in the proximities of Von Braun, one of the largest human settlements on the surface of the moon, beating out even most colonies belonging to Giganos Empire. Also the first permanent human colony on the moon, it was a bright and lively city where thousands of people, in spite of the rough times,were enjoying a relatively safe and relaxed existence, not having to worry about the invading Giganos Empire and generally acting very much like one would expect people to act in a safe, prosperous metropolis.

However, now that safety seemed to be in serious jeopardy: a large Jovian army, led by an unknown unit resembling a blue giant made of steel and iron, had Boson Jumped in the proximities, and was now advancing to attack, barely kept at bay by the desperate efforts of a select group of defence forces: Nemos, Methuss, GM-3s and several other mass-produced units were facing a swarm of Battas, a few Katonbos and the leader unit, which was dwarfing them all in size, and seemed to be much better armed as well. Every time the defenders tried to shoot the steel giant with a beam weapon, the laser would just bounce off of a semi-invisible barrier surrounding the huge robot's body, which was then left free to counter with its own lasers... or simply by having its own fists detach from the arms and fly at the opponents at high speed, kept aloft by a pair of forearm-mounted rockets.

Even disregarding its size, the unknown Jovian mecha was pretty intimidating: an electric blue color all over, it resembled Tsukumo's Tetsujin in that it had an exaggerated chestplace with a Gravity Blast cannon mounted on it, and its relatively small head was topped by a pair of curved horns that enhancd its already fierce countenance. However, its arms were even longer than the Tetsujin's, and they almost scraped the ground as the huge machine advanced relentlessly towards its enemies. Its shoulders were similarly oversized and had a large blade jutting out of each one, while the legs had no decorations save for a golden circle around its ankles. It was advaning slowly, ponderously but unstoppably... and its Distortion Field was able to hold all enemy fire, no matter how thick!

Inside the cockpit of the gigantic Jovian unit, commander Genichiro Tsukuyomi shook his head with an heavy sigh as a barrage of missiles, shot by a group of overzealous Nemos, exploded harmlessly on the Distortion Field. Almost reluctantly, Genichiro brought his mecha's arm up and swatted the air in front of himself with a roundhouse blow, striking three Nemos and sending them to crash on the unforgiving Lunar soil below. They immediately turned to smoking carcasses, and the Jovian pilot regarded his fallen opponents with a mix of pity and contempt.

"It is with an heavy heart that I do this..." he stated to himself. "If only the Earthlings loved and appreciated life as much as we do, I would not have to kill so many of them."

Genichiro was a good-looking man, about the same age as his best friend Tsukumo Shiratori, and bore a more than passing resemblance to Jou Umitsubame, the smartest and most strategic of the Gekiganger 3 pilots. In fact, aside from the bluish color of his hair, he was an almost carbon copy of the Gekiganger 3 pilot: long hair with a rather large fringe on his forehead, and a stoic, proud expression on his face, and a tight piloting suit. There was more than an hint of restrained anger in his expression, no doubt tied to what had happened to his best friend only a few days ago...

As his cockpit's speakers continued blaring the Gekiganger 3 theme song, Genichiro steeled his resolve and glared at the Earth Union forces still in front of him. He had to grudgingly admit that they were doing a decent job at holding off the rest of the Jovian units. As soon as they realized that beam weapons would not be effective against the Battas' Distortion Fields, Von Braun's defenders had immediately switched to hand-to-hand combat, slicing through the mechanical bugs with their beam sabers and destroying a fair number of them. Moreover, the rather simple AI of the Battas was proving to be no match for the ingenuity of the human pilots, who were now inflicting considerable lossses on the Jovian army.

"Hmph... a noble effort. Were we not enemies, I would praise their bravery." Genichiro murmured to himself. Then, his huge robot, the mighty Daimajin, winked out of existance, only to reappear one second later close to a group of Methuss and GM-3s that were clustered together. The surprised Earth Union pilots saw the steel colossus appear right in front of them, and its head glared down at them, its robotic eyes flashing a dangerous yellow...

"**Gekigan Beam!**" Genichiro exclaimed. A searing laser erupted from the Daimajin's eyes, and struck the still undefended Earth Union robots, causing them to explode in a chillingly spectacular chain reaction. Then, the Jovian pilot turned his attention to a group of Moebius Mobile Armors that were flying around him, trying to swarm him and firing with their linear cannons for all they were worth. Again, their attacks proved useless before the Daimajin's Distortion Field, and Genichiro raised his unit's right fist and fired it at the opposing, destroying three Moebius in a single shot before the fist returned to him and reattached itself to the Daimajin's arm.

"To the evil Earthlings of Von Braun!" Genichiro exclaimed through his speakers, broadcasting the message to the entire lunar city. "I, Genichiro Tsukuyomi, offer you an ultimatum - reveal the location of my comrade Tsukumo Shiratori, and you have my word that you will not be harmed any further! Failure to comply will result in further destruction to your city!"

"We have arrived, captain. Von Braun is right in front of us." Ruri stated tonelessly as the large lunar city appeared on the Nadesico's radars. Close to the silver-haired child prodigy, Inez Fressange was looking at Omoikane's interface with detached scientific interest, before looking up and seeing the enemy units that had just appeared. There was a sizeable number of them... including one that surely did not match anything the Nadesico had in its databases. That must have been another one of those unknown Gekiganger-like robots... they sure were fast to churn them out.

"Predictably, the Jovians are reacting to the loss of one of their own the same way one might expect from the protagonist of an anime." she explained. "Storming the enemy hideout and try to get the hostage back, or at least go for revenge."

"WE still need to stop them in their tracks, anyway." Prospector stated in worry. "If we let Von Braun get damaged, Nergal's reputation will be dealt a severe blow... not to mention the loss of lives this attack would entail."

"I would have worded it less in terms of interest." Garrison commented. "But the point is the same, ultimately."

Yurika nodded and began giving instructions to the pilots, who were now each sitting in their respective mecha's cockpits and waiting for a clearance. "Attention, to all pilots. We are now approaching Von Braun, which is under attack by the Jovians. Tsukumo Shiratori, you have been given permission to launch and, if your friend is among the attackers, you need to reach him and persuade him to call off the attack. Aestivalis units, Excellence... please make sure nothing interferes and shoot down any unmanned unit that gets too close to the Nadesico! Mr. Banjou... I need to ask you to stay close to Mr. Shiratori's unit and keep an eye out for any threat!"

"_I know, Captain Misumaru._" the blue-haired young billionairie answered with a nod from his comm screen. He had to make sure Tsukumo arrived at his destination safe and sound... but he was secretly prepared to take out the Tetsujin if Tsukumo had tried anything funny. Sure, the young Jovian commander seemed a nice enough person and was not the deceiving type, but Banjou was the first to know that it's better safe than sorry.

"Alright, everyone... you all know what to do! Jovian unit, Aestivalis team, Excellence-S, Daitarn-3... takeoff!" Yurika ordered, and the launch catapults came alive, ejecting the mechs one after the other as they started making their way towards Von Braun. In the Tetsujin's cockpit, Tsukumo nodded to himself as he recognized his best friend's Daimajin and started to accelerate towards him, even though his damaged and still unrepaired thrusters were making this more difficult than he was used to. And with such damage, even attempting Boson Jump was not as safe as its should have been... he'd have to approach his friend the hard way.

"Genichiro... I'm coming!" he murmured to himself. "I don't know how much time passed after I was brought onboard the Nadesico, but I hope we're not too late to avoid an all-out war!"

oooooooooo

In the Nadesico's quarters, the refugees from Mars were beginning to lose their cool, and not without reason - they had gone from barely escaping a life-threatening situation to finding themselves in another one, and many of them wanted answers about what was going on. The members of the crew who weren't busy with conducting operations were now trying to assuage the refugees, and to at least keep some resemblance of order in what was a chaotic situation already.

"What are you doing now?" a man exclaimed, being held back by a rather nervous Beauty. "We went from Mars to the Moon in the blink of an eye, and you're already throwing yourselves in another battle?"

"And what about that Jovian robot? How is it that you allowed him to launch?" another man demanded.

Beauty put her hands up, telling everyone to keep their cool. "Please... Please, everyone, we are still doing the best we can under the circumstances!" she explained. "A lot more things happened, and we didn't have time to explain it all to you in deatil, but rest assured that our priority is still to keep you safe and get you to Earth in one piece!"

"And what about this thing that the Jovian Lizards are actually human? What can you tell us about this, huh?" another man shot back. Beauty gulped and backed away a step, finding herself at a loss on how to answer... but luckily for her, Reika came to her rescue, loudly clapping her hands twice and calling for the attention of all those around her.

"That will be enough!" Reika exclaimed, with all the firmness and the countenance of a former Preventer agent. "At the moment, our pilots are out there, risking their lives again. We need to work together if we are to survive this. We are not asking you to do much but keep calm and cooperate with the Nadesico crew. At the moment, we have found ourselves in another unexpected situation, but we are trying to defuse it as soon as we can and with as little bloodshed as possible. Please, keep calm, and we will all manage to escape alive."

Reika's speech did have an effect... and while it was clear that several of the refugees were still quite annoyed with how things had turned out, they eventually decided that their grievances would have to wait until later. After all, the Nadesico had braved the whole Jovian and Meganoid armies to save them... trusting them was the least they could d as a show of thanks. So, one at the time, they all went back to their place, and started waiting once again. Beauty let out a small sigh of relief and turned to her brunette friend to thank her for the timely save.

"Phew... wow, Reika, that was quite a speech you did." the blonde girl said. "It was quite impressive, I have to admit."

Reika simply smiled at her, with some haughtiness. "Oh, it was nothing, really." she said with a cunning smile. "Just something that us professionals are good at doing under pressure. Maybe you could learn something from this, don't you think?"

Beauty stuck her tongue out at Reika. "Meanie."

Genichiro's attention, not to mention the Batta and the Katonbos' primitive AI, had immediately gone to the large battleship and the small group of minor units that had suddenly appeared on his radar. The unmanned units immediately ceased their assault on Von Braun and changed target, flying at their new opponents at high speed, while the three Katonbos turned around and began firing volleys of blue beams from their smaller cannons. The Nadesico powered up its Distortion Field just in time to stop the attack, while the Aestivalis drew their Rapid Rifles and stood on guard.

"Stay near the Nadesico!" Ryoko instructed. "Don't let them get close to the ship!"

Izumi smiled unsettingly as she began firing upon the approaching unmanned units. "Alright, kids. Either you cut it or we cut you." she said, giggling to herself. "Going to squash me some lizards, Mom!"

"Izumi, quit clowning and concentrate!" Ryoko yelled at her. "Everybody, stay close to the Nadesico! Don't let any of those Battas slip though!"

"I won't let even one of them escape!" Akito answered, quickly turning to a small group of the small bug-like robots flying towards the Nadesico and trying to bombard it with their micro missiles. The cook-turned-pilot aimed his Rapid Rifle at them and shot down several missiles before turning his aim towards the Battas and blasting them into oblivion! A few of them flew out of the cloud of smoke and made a beeline for the Aestivalis, shooting a volley of lasers with their vulcans. Gai's Aestivalis flew in front of them and absorbed their fire thanks to the Distortion Field, then took out his Aestivalis' combat knife and slashed one of them in the midsection, causing the Batta to die out and fall to the lunar ground several dozens of metres below. Ryoko and the girls were also doing a great job holding off the Jovian horde,while Fiona's Excellence-S and Banjou's Daitarn-3 tailed Tsukumo's Tetsujin as he approached the battlefield. A swipe from Daitarn-3's sword sliced apart a couple of Battas, and the Excellence-S' arm fell down like a hammer on top of another unmanned unit, destroying it on impact!

"Alright, we're getting there!" Fiona exclaimed with a nod. Another Batta tried to approach the larger red machine, but the girl quickly swerved to the side and kicked the mechanical insect away, before unleashing a Prisma Beam that pierced its weak Distortion Field and took it out. "Tsukumo! Try to get in contact with your friend over there! I'm sure he will listen to you before shooting at us!"

"I'm already on it, miss Fiona!" Tsukumo answered, punching a few keys on his Tetsujin's consoles as he expanded his Distortion Field in case he was targetted by a stray hit. Wincing as his cockpit was shaken - he hadn't expected the damage to his Tetsujin to be that severe - Tsukumo entered a few coordinates and went towards the large Daimajin that was still tearing through the Earth Union defenders. "Genichiro? Genichiro, can you hear me? This is Tsukumo! I am safe, and returning to base now! Please, cease the attack immediately!"

On the comm screen right in front of Tsukumo, Genichiro's finely chiseled face appeared, his eyes wide in an expression of surprise and relief at the same time. "_What? Tsukumo, is that really you?_" he asked in shock, taking a good look at the face in front of him, as if he wanted to make sure he was not seeing an illusion. "_How... how did you manage to escape? Several days have passed since your disappearence on Mars... and we thought you were lost to us!_"

"Several days...? Heh, I understand... that must have been the effect of Boson Jumping..." Tsukumo said, speaking both to himself and to his best friend. "In fact, I did not escape. I... I was rescued by the crew of the Nadesico, the battleship you can see behind me! A few members of their crew let me free and allowed me to depart from their ship just a few minutes ago..."

Genichiro frowned in distrust. What was that about? Was Tsukumo actually saying that the Earthlings had been merciful and even forgiving towards him? This was unheard of... his superiors on Jupiter had always said that the Earthlings were a bunch of savage, murderous barbarians. "_This... this cannot be true... have I misheard you or something? You are saying... that these Earthlings have actually helped you? What kind of deceit is this?_"

Tsukumo smiled to himself, somewhat bitterly, as Daitarn-3 and the Excellence-S hung back to allow the Tetsujin to approach the rest of the Jovian army. He had to know that Genichiro would be in disbelief about that. "It's a bit of a long story... and I'll tell you about it as soon as we're back to HQ. Please, have the troops retreat. I've made a promise with these people that we would have ceased our attack."

"_I cannot trust a promise with an Earthling!_" Genichiro stubbornly refused to relent, causing both Fiona and Banjou to wince. They had expected that the Jovian commander would not have been easy to sway, but still...

Tsukumo, however, was not the kind of person to give up easily. "It is the truth, Genichiro! These people brought me here at great danger to themselves, disregarding their personal convenience." he told his friend. "Please, make the troops retreat."

Tsukumo could see that Genichiro was not really convinced... but luckily, the Daimajin pilot finally relented and reluctantly recalled the rest of his units. "_Alright then. I guess this is the least I can do to repay them._" he admitted. "_Tsukumo, get close and board my Daimajin._"

"Alright!" the Tetsujin pilot answered, before turning back to Fiona and Banjou. Most Jovian unmanned units were turning back, having received the retreat call from Genichiro's Daimajin, but a few Battas and a Katonbo were still hovering around the Nadesico, though there were too few of them to really pose a threat. "Fiona, Banjou... crew of the Nadesico... our paths separate here. I'm sorry but, for confidential purposes, I have to self-destruct this Tetsujin. I... I do hope we'll meet again, under better circumstances."

"Do not worry about us, Tsukumo Shiratori." Banjou answered with a slight smile. "Now go, and have a safe journey."

"Before that... I would like to thank your two friends, Megumi and Minato, for their help. If it wasn't for them, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly." Tsukumo concluded with a slight chuckle. Nodding and smiling in assent, Fiona patched Tsukumo's communication to the Nadesico, and the smiling face of Minato Haruka appeared on the young Jovian soldier's screen, blowing a kiss at him and making him get a little flustered.

"It will be a pleasure to see you again, Tsukumo. Please have a safe journey... and remember us!" the Nadesico's helmswoman answered, waving at Tsukumo who responded in kind and, after putting his helmet on, began leaving his cockpit. His Tetsujin had gotten close to Genichiro's Daimajin, close enough for him to get out of his cockpit and jump into the Daimajin's, where his friend seemed to be waiting with an unreadable expression on his face.

"This is going to go in your report, Tsukumo. You are well aware of that, right?" Genichiro said severely.

Tsukumo chuckled, rubbing the back of his head as he entered the cockpit. "Hehehee... yeah, I guess so. Okay, then... I set my Tetsujin to self-destruct in one minute, so we better hightail it out of here. I'll explain everything better once we're back at HQ."

"Okay..." Genichiro relented. "But make sure you apologize to Yukina as well. You know she's been worried sick about you."

Tsukumo nodded. "I know. I'll remember that."

"Alright, girls, this clown is ours!" Ryoko told her fellow pilots, as the three Aestivalis flew at high speed towards a Katonbo that threatened to get too close to the Nadesico, while Akito, Gai, Fiona and Banjou dispatched the few remaining Battas. "Dodge its lasers, and get in position for a nice Buttercup Formation! Hikaru!"

"I'm ready!" the girl with the glasses exclaimed, flying close to her leader.

"One for all, and all for one, as the saying goes." Izumi murmured. A barrage of lasers rained around them, but the girls were able to dodge them, and Hikaru and Izumi opened fire against the massive unmanned ship, blowing several holes in its side and causing it to lose altitude, before Ryoko rammed her Aestivalis' Distortion Punch into the Katonbo's muzzle, destroying it! The girls flew at a safe distance before the massive Jovian robot went up in a spectacular explosion, just as Banjou finished off the last remaining Batta with a well-placed Daitarn Missile. At the corner of his eyes, Akito was able to see Genichiro's Daimajin Boson Jumping away, leaving the battlefield once and for all just a few seconds before the Tetsujin exploded in a spectacular bloom of fire and smoke.

The space around Von Braun City had returned calm and peaceful, with only the carcasses of the destroyed robots from both Earth Union and Jupiter Empire littering the ground to hint that there had been a battle only a few minutes before. Akito breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the devastated battlefield and scarcely believing what had just happened - they had escaped from a losing battle on Mars, rescued a lot of refugees along with a mysterious woman who seemed to know a lot more than she let on - along with Fiona - , executed their first ever Boson Jump and discovered that their enemies were humans all along, and a whole culture of Gekiganger fans at that! He really wasn't sure what to make of that... he needed some time to think about that, and to see what the rest of his friends thought about it as well...

"Hey, Tenkawa! You alright?" Gai's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and the Mars-born Aestivalis pilot turned to his friend, blinking in surprise. "Really... you could at least try to look alive! After all, we just survived one heck of a fight with the Jovians... and we helped a fellow human go back home. I think we can be proud f what we have achieved, right?"

"Gai's right, Akito! Cheerio, old chap!" Hikaru exclaimed.

Akito managed to smile a little. No matter how conflicted he was feeling, those two seemed to be able to make him look at the bright side of things. "It's not that I'm not proud of what we've done, guys. I know we did the right thing when we helped Shiratori go back to his comrades... but still, aren't you a little angry about this all? I mean, the Earth Union government hid this all from us and used us in order to become pawns in their game. We... were going to fall for their trick without even suspecting anything."

"But we didn't. And that's what counts, in the end." Fiona stated as her Excellence-S and Daitarn-3 flew back to the Nadesico. "Now, of course we'll have to think about what to do, now that we know this... but we have a better chance of affecting the conflict for the better."

"_I think Fiona is right_." Yurika stated calmly. "_For now, anyway, what we need to do is to have the Martian refugees get to a safe place, where the Earth Union personnel can take better care of them. Now, I think we should contact Von Braun and tell them about what happened. Maybe they will be able to help._"

"Okay... so, shall we head back?" Ryoko asked the captain.

oooooooooo

"Most definitely, Lieutenant Subaru!" Yurika answered merrily. "Aestivalis units, Excellence-S, Daitarn-3... please head back to the hangars for routine checks."

"Well, that's a relief. This battle went smoothly, without any significant damage to our units or Von Braun." Prospector said, punching a few buttons on his trusty pocket calculator. "I have to say, despite a few slip-ups, we are well on our way to complete our mission in the best of ways!"

"I am about to make contact with Von Braun, Captain!" Megumi said. "They are counting their losses, but theydon't seem to be significant, luckily enough! I don't think we'll have a problem with docking there."

"And we have to thank Tsukumo for that. Had it not been for him, it could have gotten messy..." Minato said with a wistful smile. "Well... I do hope we get to meet him again. He was a nice guy... and he was quite a looker, I might add!"

"Hehehee... are you implying something, Minato?" Megumi said with a giggle.

The helmswoman of the Nadesico shrugged and winked at her friend. "Perhaps, perhaps not."

Goat Hory rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Ladies... would you please stop it with the gossiping and concentrate?" he stated. "Just because we have escaped the battle in one piece, this doesn't mean we can relax yet."

"Sounds to me like somebody is jealous here..." Jun murmured to himself, but he wasn't about to say that within earshot of Goat.

Ruri sighed. "Idiots." she murmured in a deadpan voice, before taking a look at her radar, which showed no immediate cause for concern. It seemed that the Nadesico was entering the last leg of her journey...

But a blue blip appeared on the screen just when Ruri was about to make a status report: a blue circle, right in front of the Nadesico and its combat units, which blinked in a strange way. The electronic fairy blinked once, without changing her expression, and took a look at the strange phenomenon before warning hercaptain about it.

"Captain, we have located an unknown object in front of us." Ruri stated matter-of-factly. "It is an unknown unit. Omoikane doesn't have it in his database."

"What?" a surprised Yurika said. "Ruri, give me a visual."

"Right away." the albino girl answered, opening a window and showing what had appeared on the radar. What did show up had everyone drop their jaws in shock and surprise. A strange robotic creature, resembling a gigantic blue horse with a long spiralling horn on its forehead, was gallopping in the void in front of them, a faintly glowing aura around its body!

"It's a unicorn." Ruri stated expressionlessly.

"Wh-WHAAAAT?" Yurika went wide eyed at the sight of the mythological beast approaching the Nadesico in what looked like curiosity. "Is... Is this some kind of joke?"

"It would be funnier if it was." Ruri answered...

**oooooooooo**

**I apologize for the lateness, but I finally got my creative juices going... and now, make way for the newly coming series! Some of us may already have guessed which will be... anyway, see you next time, and I hope you enjoyed this!**


	28. Meeting the Archangel

**Super Robot Taisen S**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 28 - Meeting the Archangel**

It was a really strange sight - the strange unicorn-like blue robot was just hovering in space right in front of the team, seemingly unconcerned with the large battleship in front of it. The Aestivalis units, The Excellence-S and Daitarn-3, for their part, seemed to just be content with watching the strange mechanical creature, trying not to provoke the mechanical creature into doing something that might be damaging to them. They knew nothing about it, and they were not going to attack it without sufficient provocation on its part.

On the Nadesico's main bridge, Ruri was still trying to analyze the new creature, yet she could find nothing about it in Omoikane's database - which was surprising, consider Omoikane had been updated with the data from all the weapon developed by the Earth Sphere parties, even the most recent ones. The fact that this particular robot seemed to come out of nowhere was all the more suspicious.

"Woah... this is really unexpected!" Hikaru commented, adjusting her glasses as if she couldn't believe her own eyes. "I mean, I know we run into a lot of strange things lately... but really, a unicorn? This really hallenges all my willing suapension of disbelief..."

"And yet, here it is." Banjou said nonchalantly. The young billionairie had seen stranger things inhis life, having been accustomized to fighting against the Meganoids and their strange inventions, and so the fact that there was a unicorn right in front of him did not seem to faze him that much. "It doesn't seem dangerous as of now... but you never know what might happen."

"We're in no position to really judge how dangerous it might be..." Yurika said with a bit of hesitation. "Well... I'd say, let's wait some more and see what it does! If we can get by without needless fighting, that's all the better for us and for Von Braun!"

However, before anyone could make a move, more blips appeared on the Nadesico's radar screens, and at the same time, Banjou detected several unknown unit approaching, with the strange robotic unicorn raising its head, evidently growing restless and nervous. "More unknown units detected." Ruri said, without ever once wavering. "I cannot find them in Omoikane's database either. We are dealing with a complete unknown."

"Damn, just what we needed now..." Ryoko swore angrily, the events of the latest days beginning to get to her. "I can see them on my radar as well... gys, I'll give a visual to all of you! Ugh... dammit, will you just look at those things!"

"What is it, Ryoko?" Akito asked... before one of his screen switched on, showing a swarm of strange mechanical creatures that looked like a poor man's Mobile Suit with exaggeratedly stylized arms and legs, and a perfectly spherical, somewhat insectile grey head, sporting a pair of evil-looking silvery eyes. Each of them was holding a strange-looking futuristic gun in their hands and seemed to move through space as though they were swimming, remaining in a tight formation as they approached the unicorn threateningly. It took no huge stretch of the imagination to see that they were targetting the blue unicorn and attempting to cut off each and every of its ways out.

"What... What the heck are those things?" Gai murmured, narrowing his eyes and frowning at the strange mechanical creatures. "Are they some kind of new Jovian weapon or something?"

"I don't think so... if they are, they're a kind I've never seen before..." Ryoko ventured.

Fiona grit her teeth as she rubbed her chin with her free hand, disregarding her controls for just a couple seconds. She couldn't remember having ever seen those things, and she had no idea what to expect from them. Now that she took a more careful look at her screen, she could see that the strange humanoid robots were joined by several strange red robotic monsters that looked like some demented cross between a bug and a crab, with long steely arms ending in razor-sharp pincers. The swarm of strange mechanical monsters was accelerating, making a beeline for the Nadesico and the strange unicorn-like robot in front of them.

The unicorn neighed nervously and kicked its front hooves in thin air as it tried to get closer to the Nadesico, and the confused pilots pointed their weapons at the approaching robots. They had no idea what those things were, but they sure looked pretty dangerous and hostile...

Akito frowned as one of the humanoid robots drew its gun and pointed it at him, taking careful aim... and was immediately after smashed apart by a large, bulky figure that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, getting the jump on the mysterios attackers and dropping on them like some kind of ferocious bird of prey! Everbody stepped back in surprise as the unexpected helper jumped back and landed on its feet on the lunar surface - it was another robot, not quite as tall as Daitarn-3 but definitely taller than an Aestivalis or the Excellence-S, and it was covered in blue plates of armor, with spinning threads on its lower arms and legs, while its head, which was protected by an helmet with faceplate, sported a face whose expression seemed to be able to change, much like Daitarn-3! There was a slot on the back of the robot, in a structure resembling a backpack that housed a couple of huge batteries, and it was striking a pose not unlike that of a martial artist. It lookd powerful and majestic, just like Daitarn-3 itself, and the electric sparkles that danced along its fingertips only added to the overall impression of power.

Right behind it was a massive battleship that only superficially resembled the Nadesico - one that Yurika immediately recognized as one of the latest models of battleship used by the Earth Union. It was a fair deal larger than the Nergal flagship, with two leg-like extensions, and it was mostly in a white-and-red color scheme, with some grey and blue patches giving it a majestic countenance. A white, red and blue Gundam, reminescent of the RX-78 Gundam from the One Year War, armed with a beam rifle and sporting a pair of red wing-like extensions on its back was flying in front of the large battleship, and along with it was a brightly colored Moebius Zero, armed with linear gun and gunbarrels.

"Hey! Will you look at that!" Megumi exclaimed from her position. "Captain Misumaru, doesn't that happen to be... an Archangel-class battleship of the Earth Union Army? And one of those units flying in front of her is a Gundam!"

"You're perfectly right, Megumi!" Yurika answered, surprised at this turn of events. "But I don't understand why they're accompanying that strange robot... and I don't recognize that robot either, if I have to be frank!"

Reika quickly thought of the news she had heard just before she had joined the crew of the Nadesico along with Banjou and the rest of her friends. If she was right, then the pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit together in a really ironic way... "Hmm... won't that have something to do with those news I heard about the attack on Heliopolis? You know... when ZAFT and Giganos attacked that civilian colony in order to flush out two Earth Union battleships that were supposedly hiding military secrets in there? One of them was in fact an Archangel-class battleship, and I don't think there are that many operational at the moment. I'm pretty sure this is the one!"

"Well, that does make sense..." Yurika said, a little doubtful. However, the huge swarm of robots flying their way convinced her that such thoughts could wait for later. "Megumi, try to open a comm channel to the Archangel-class battleship! Hail them as friendly! All pilots, concentrate on the unknown enemy units! Do not let them get too close!"

"Alright!" Fiona exclaimed, pointing her Excellence-S' clawed arm at the incoming force and letting loose with a Prisma Beam that struck one of the smaller humanoid robots in the chest, blowing it up instantly. The Aestivalis units began opening fire on the approaching enemies, forcing them to scatter, while Daitarn-3 held its Daitarn Zanba in one had and a huge red iron fan in the other, using the latter to fend off enemy fire.

The unknown blue robot, for its part, was doing a great job fighting off the enemy. Its movements were fluid, smooth and elegant, and really resembled those of an accomplished martial artist. The blue robot dodged the enemy's attacks and struvk back with a powerful roundhouse kick that tore several enemy units apart, before turning back and striking one of the crab-like enemies in the chest. The mechanical monster was blown back and landed upon the lunar soil, exploding upon impact while the blue robot stood in place and slid back into a fighting stance. Gai's Aestivalis used its combat knife to stab one of the green humanoid robots in the head, causing it to cease to function, and then approached the larger blue robot, opening a channel to its pilot.

"Hey, pilot of the martial artist mecha! You've got some pretty impressive stuff there!" the Gekiganger otaku said, sporting a huge grin on his face... which immediately turned into wide-eyed surprise when two comm screen opened up in his Aestivalis' cockpit, showing the pilots of the large blue robot - two boys about eleven or twelve years old, one of them had messy brown hair and a fairly quiet, innocuous appearence, while the other looked a little more brash and straight-forward, with very short black hair, a small band-aid on his left cheekbone, and a somewhat fierce countenance. "Huh? Wa... wait, what? The pilots of that martial artist robot are a couple of children?"

"You're the crew of the Nadesico, aren't you?" the boy with the messy brown hair stated. "We're sorry for interfering, but we might need your help for this one! Can you help us fend off the Gulfer units?"

"Gulfer? That's what they're called?" Akito asked, opening another channel to the unknown blue robot, and remaining just as shocked as Gai at the fact that it was piloted by two pre-teen boys. "And what's with that unicorn?"

The black-haired young boy cast a glance at the unicorn-like robot, which was still looking around in confusion, letting out a neigh every now and then. It seemed to be clueless about what all those people around him were about to do. "We'll explain everything later! For now, just know that Unicorn Drill is our priority... do not let the Gulfer get to it!"

"I still don't know what's this all about, or why you've come along with an Earth Union battleship and that new Gundam I've never seen... but I guess this is no time to be standing here discussing!" Banjou said, his Daitarn-3 slashing apart another Gulfer Principle Unit with its sword. "Alright, kids, let's do this! By the way, I don't think I've got your names..."

The brunet young boy blinked in surprise. "Oh... right! My name is Hokuto Kusanagi, chosen pilot of Gear Fighter Dendoh!"

"Ginga Izumo." the other boy answered. "Chosen pilot of Dendoh as well. Now, can we get going and take down these buckets of bolts?"

"You're talking to professionals, kids!" Ryoko fired back, using her Aestivalis' fist to smash a Gulfer Principle Unit's head into smithreens. The other Aestivalis, Daitarn-3 and the Excellence-S soon joined the fray, and the Gulfer forces began to falter at the Archange, the unknown Gundam and the Moebius Zero lend them a hand with long-range attacks.

oooooooooo

In the meanwhile, the Nadesico had managed to contact the Archangel, with Megumi hurrying up to get a visual of the ship's operators. Soon enough, a comm window appeared on the Nadesico's console, showing the person who was quite probably in command of the Archangel - a beautiful brunette woman in her twenties, wearing a grey Earth Union military uniform with red shoulder pads and dark grey sleeves and boots. Her dark brown eyes blinked in curiosity as she saw the members of the Nadesico crew.

"Archangel, this is High Mobile Battleship Nadesico, currently on a mission on behalf of Nergal Heavy Industries and the Earth Union government." Megumi hailed the Archangel. "Archangel, do you copy?"

"_Loud and clear_." the brunette woman answered. "_This is Lt. Murrue Ramius of the Earth Union military. Archangel here. We heard of you from our superiors, but we had no idea we'd run into you in such a place._"

"Lt. Ramius, what is going on here?" Yurika asked, coming into view along with Megumi. "Who are those strange robots, and what's with that strange unicorn robot you seem to be after? We don't know anything of what is going on here!"

Murrue sighed and looked at her side, as if she was trying to find the right words to explain the situation. "_It is a rather complicated situation, in fact... we are in a bad place as well, and we're in the middle of an important operation that was made more complicated by circumstances beyond our control. Our primary objective, as of now, is to secure the Data Weapon known as Unicorn Drill, on behalf of GEAR HQ. That unicorn robot you're seeing. The Gulfer re after it as well, and we cannot afford it to fall in enemy hands!_" she explained. "_Gear Fighter Dendoh, along with the Strike Gundam and the Moebius Zero piloted by Lt. Mwu La Flaga are engaging the eney as we speak, and they will support you as much as possible._"

"Lt. Mwu La Flaga?" Yurika exclaimed, perking up in excitement. "Wow, so that means that we have the Hawk of Endymion himself on our side? This is so awesome! I would have never dreamt that we could have the honor of fighting side by side with him!" With that, Yurika clenched her fists and raised her huge blue eyes, sporting a beaming smile... and managing to weird out Murrue, who blinked in confusion at the sight of the younger woman acting like a schoolgirl! Sure, Murrue knew that the Nergal crew weren't military, but she was probably expecting some more reservation on their side...

It was Ruri who recalled everyone's attention on the situation at hand and the attacking Gulfer units, who were still swarming over the team of pilots and driving them backwards. Unicorn Drill neighed nervously and beat the lunar soil with its hooves, apparently ready to run away as soon as things got too dangerous. "Captain, we detect a large cluster of Gulfer units right in front of us." the silver-haired pre-teen reported. "They are clustered enough that a shot from the Gravity Blast should be able to destroy a large number of them and significantly weaken the opposition."

Yurika shook herself out of her fantasy and got down to business, but she kept her enthusiastic smile as she gave the new orders. "Alright, then! We'll take out those nasty robots and clear the way!" she said. "Minato, please, charge up the Gravity Blast! Megumi, warn everyone to get ready and clear the way as soon as the energy buildup is ready!"

"Already on it, captain!" Minato answered, while Megumi opened a channel to the Aestivalis units, Daitarn-3 and the Excellence-S. On the screen, Murrue nodded in assent and began giving out some order to her crew as well.

"_Fine. We'll support the Nadesico. We need to turn the Archangel 60 degrees on X axis and charge up the Lohengrin blasters._" she stated. "_Warn Dendoh, the Strike and the Moebius Zero to get ready to clear the way, and lay suppressive fire with the Igelstellung if a Gulfer unit gets too close to the Data Weapon._"

"Thank you for your aid, Captain Ramius!" Yurika thanked. "If you need our help to get out of the situation you're in, you can count on us!"

"_Thank you, but we'll talk about that later._" Murrue said, nodding with a small smile while he sat back at the captain's place. "_Keep your guard up, everyone! Our priority is to capture the Data Weapon before Ohga shows up!_"

"_Aye, captain!_" several voices answered, and the Archangel began turning around and charging its weapon, while several gun turrets flared to life to disrupt the Gulfer units getting too close to the larger battleship. A few of the humanoid robots were hit and cut down by the defensive barrage, while others tried to fire their guns at the Earth Union battleship, only to find their beams dissipating harmlessly against the Archangel's coating.

"Will you look at that!" a surprised Prospector stated. "I heard about that, but it's the first time I see that with my own eyes! That's the Archangel's laminated armor! A new coating system that dissipates the heat of beam weapons across the whole hull, granting the ship an incredible defense against beam weapon fire!"

"Amazing..." Yurika said, smiling in amazement. "Well, the Nadesico might be the greatest breakthrough in Nergal's technology... but I can see that Morgenroete isn't too far behind! With allies like these, we will surely defeat the Gulfer!"

"Captain, Gravity Blast charged at 50%" Ruri stated, keeping a close eye on the Gulfer army. They were getting closer, but if their pilots and the new allies were able to keep them at bay...

**oooooooooo**

"Gekigaaaan... Shoot!" Hikaru exclaimed, unleashing a furious barrage of Rapid Rifle fire on the closer Gulfer Principle Units, and destroying them. But one thing the enemies seemed to never be short on was numbers, and three more units took the place of those Hikaru had destroyed, shooting at her with their beam guns. The glasses-wearing girl acted quickly, and managed to put up her Distortion Field just in time, but a stray shot went through her defense and nicked her Aestivalis in the shoulder, causing a small explosion that shook her cockpit. "Kyaaaah! Hey, watch it with those guns, you weirdo! Somebody might get hurt!"

"Sure, and that somebody is... these buckets of bolts right in front of us!" a jovial male voice intervened as a reddish Moebius Zero sprinted past the Gulfer Principle Units, before deploying its linebarrels and firing a barrage upon the humanoid robots, destroying them. Hikaru let out a yell of excitement as she recognized the Moebius Zero piloted by the Earth Union ace Mwu La Flaga, and had her Aestivalis raise her still-intact arm to wave at the agile Mobile Armor as it passed through, doing a spectacular barrel roll and returning to blasting away at the killing machines.

"Yahoo! Thanks for the save, captain La Flaga!" Hikaru exclaimed. "I was always a huge fan of yours! Could I have your autograph once we've gotten through this?"

One of her screens lit up, and a young man in his twenties with short, neatly combed blond hair and wearing a purple piloting suit appeared upon it, giving Hikaru a thumbs-up. "No problem, kid! But for now, just keep concentrated and give these guys Hell! I've heard good things about the Nergal pilots, so make sure you live up to it!"

"Okie-dokie!" Hikaru exclaimed, doing a salute. "Have you heard, girls? Let's show the Hawk of Endymion that we're tough customers as well!"

"We'll just have to ask the Gulfer to keep the change." Izumi joked, cracking one of her disquieting grins as she gunned down another enemy. Ryoko's red Aestivalis raced towards the closer Gulfer Principle Units and drove her Distortion Field powered fist through them, reducing them to an heap of torn steel as she smirked in dark amusement.

"And we don't even need to hold back, since we're up against a bunch of unmanned robots!" she said. "Okay, girls, stay in a tight formation, and don't let these things sneak up on us! Fiona, are you okay?"

The Excellence-S, with the Daitarn-3 backing Fiona up, had just crushed the head of an Orbiton in its overlarge clawed hand, before tossing the decapitated machine beast towards a cluster of other Gulfer units. Close by, Dendoh was still fighting tenaciously, its fists and feet destroying several enemies with every attack. "We've got this in the bag, Ryoko!" Fiona answered, before turning back to defending herself from the enemy's attack. "We just need to keep this up, and it shouldn't be too hard to drive these things off!"

"Just don't let them get close to Unicorn Drill or Von Braun." Banjou answered. "**Daitarn Javelin!**"

The solar-powered robot grabbed its three-pronged javelin and tossed it towards an Orbiton, skewering the crab-like machine's head and causing it to detonate. Before it was destroyed, though, it managed to fire a couple of missiles, hitting the Daitarn-3 in the chest and causing it to step backwards. Luckily, it quickly picked itself up and kept fighting...

Akito and Gai were tag-teaming the Gulfer units, weaving in and out of enemy fire and destroying the enemies with an effective alternation of long-range and close-range attacks, while the Strike Gundam, the unknown Gundam that was accompanying the Archangel, provided them with cover fire, shooting its beam rifle at any enemy that threatened to get too close to either the two Aestivalis or the legged ship. With an enraged yell, Akito stabbed another Gulfer Principle Unit and sent it to crash to the unforgiving ground below, but an Orbiton managd to get to the Aestivalis' back and extended its pincer-like hands on the small Nergal robot! Akito's proximity alarm went off too late, and the young man gasped in horror as he turned in that direction and saw the mechanical monstrosity looming upon him...

"Tenkawa! Be careful!" Gai warned him as he tried to get his Aestivalis there in time...

But luckily, the Orbiton never had the chance to score the telling blow. The Strike Gundam, who seemed to be preoccupied with the other Gulfer units, made a quick turn and dashed to Akito's aid, driving its beam saber right into the enemy's chest! There was a bright flash as electrical sparkles leaked from the gash in the Orbiton's body, and the monstrous machine fell as the Strike pulled the sword out, exploding as it crashed on the Lunar surface.

"Phew... at least that Gundam got there in time." Gai murmured. "Though I'm kinda pissed that it stole the thunder from me..."

"Hey, are you okay?" asked the concerned voice of a male teenager from the Gundam's cockpit. Akito shook himself out of his stun and nodded, before answering to the call and seeing that the one who had hailed him, as well as the pilot of the Strike Gundam, was a teenager about two years his junior, with unruly and somewhat long dark brown hair and large, innocent purple eyes wearing a standard Earth Union piloting suit. He seemed an harmless and sensitive young man, and Akito couldn't help but thinkthat perhaps he had been forced by circumstances to get inside that Mobile Suit and fight, just as it had happened with Akito himself.

"Yes... yes, I am! Thank you for helping me out... huh... could I have your name, please?" Akito asked, and the younger boy formed a small smile.

"My name is Kira. Kira Yamato. I'm the temporary pilot of the Aile Strike Gundam." he answered in a gentle yet firm voice. "My friends and I managed to escape the destruction of the Heliopolis colony thanks to the crew of the Archangel... and I found myself in the position of having to pilot this Gundam to protect the ship. This Gundam was supposed to be given to authorized military, but... when ZAFT and Giganos Empire attacked, we found ourselves forced to take measures to survive."

"I see... it's a bit like what happened to me..." Akito said, somewhat bitterly. "Well... thanks for your help, Kira! My name is akito Tenkawa, and I'm one of the Nadesico's cooks and pilots."

Another bunch of Gulfer Principle Units was approaching, forcing Akito and Kira to interrupt their introductions, and concentrate back on the battle... but not before Gai managed to dash towards the enemy and annihilate several of them with a well-placed Distortion Field powered punch, which reduced the Gulfer units to a bunch of scrap metal!

"Hey, Gundam pilot! I get that you're piloting a great machine and all, but don't get so high and mighty!" Gai joked. "I'll have you know, you're dealing with the best Aestivalis pilot of this side of the Earth Sphere, the great Gai Daigouji! Pleased to meet ya, Kira Yamato! Now that's an impressive name, don't ya think?"

Kira blinked and sweatdropped at Gai's enthusiasm. "Er... well... I guess so..." he said in embarassment, before the three of them went back to demolishing Gulfer machines...

**oooooooooo**

"Our fighters and the Nadesico's units are doing a great job! The Gulfer are being overwhelmed as we speak!" Miriallia Haww reported, looking at her screen on the Archangel's main bridge. Another student from Heliopolis, she, along with her boyfriend Tolle Koenig and the rest of her friends, had found something to make herself useful despite not becoming a pilot herself, and she was not monitoring the battle closely.

Close by, a mysterious-looking woman in a white and blue jackt and black bodysuit, wearing a blue beret over her long blond hair, white boots and a silver mask on the upper part of her face, nodded in approval. "That's good for now. We have to keep them away and allow Dendoh to get close enough to Unicorn Drill to capture it. This is our third attempt... as they say, hopefully third time is the charm. And by the way, I still need to thank you for giving aid to GEAR."

"Don't mention it, Ms. Vega." Murrue answered with a slight wave of her hand. "It was the least we could do for the help you are giving us. Furthermore, the Gulfer are the enemies of all humanity, and it's only in our best interest to cooperate with GEAR."

"Still, we are grateful." the masked woman named Vega answered. "Without your aid, it would have been a lot more difficult for us to follow Unicorn Drill when it was send to the Moon. It was luck we ran into you."

One of the bridge bunnies, another Heliopolis refugee called Jessica, saw something else appear on the radar, and immediately warned the rest of the crew. "Captain Ramius, there is a new signature on the radar! It's an unknown unit, but it matches the signature of the Gulfer units!"

"What?" the ship's second-in-command Lt. Natarle Badgiruel, a stern-looking, pale-skinned woman with short and luscious black hair, dressed in a uniform similar to Murrue and wearing a grey military hat with a black front, said in alarm. "Can you get us a visual?"

"Right away!" the girl stated, bringing up the outer cameras' image on the main screen. A few more Gulfer units, mainly Principle Units and Orbitons, were rushing to reinforce the ones that were getting wiped out by Dendoh and the other robots... but the only enemy reinforcement that differed from the others elicited a reaction of shock and dismay from Vega - it looked like a darker version of Dendoh, mosty black and red with red turbine-like threads on its arms and legs, a red chestplate with a golden decoration on it, and a red and grey faceplate with a sharp blade jutting out of its forehead like some sort of horn. Despite its bulk, the Dendoh-lookalike was moving with amazing speed and agility, and even though Murrue and Natarle knew nothing about it, they could already tell that this new opponent was going to be a lot of trouble.

However, the one who knew better what they were up against was Vega, who widened her eyes and grit her teeth - there was no doubt about it, they were facing the Gear Knight Ohga once again! And considering that the previous fight of the two Dendoh pilots against this machine had gone quite poorly, the masked girl wasn't exactly thrilled to see that this particular opponent had managed to track them all the way there. Not to mention her other reason for not looking forward to this battle...

Murrue realized that Vega was looking distraught. "Miss Vega, what is the matter?" she asked the GEAR agent. "Do you happen to know what that robot is? It looks like a recolored version of Dendoh, in a way."

"That's the Gear weapon that was left in the Gulfer's hands... the Gear Knight Ohga!" Vega explained. "It is piloted by one of the top enforces of the Gulfer, commander Arthea, and I can safely say that it's an opponent beyond Dendoh's ability to fight. We need to grab the Data Weapon if possible, and try to escape from here!"

"Alright!" Murrue answered. "How is the charge of the Lohengrin?"

"Charging complete!" Sai Argyle, a glasses-wearing and rather ordinary-looking teenager from Heliopolis, part of Kira's circle of friends, answered quickly. "The Lohengrin are pointed right in the reinforcements' direction! We can take them out!"

"Alright! Then target the Gulfer reinforcements and fire at will!" Murrue answered, before casting a glance at the radar, to the point where the Nadesico was stationed. "The Nadesico should have prepared its Gravity Blast as well... Miriallia Haw, relay to all units the order to clear the way!"

**oooooooooo**

"Gravity Blast 100% charged. Awaiting orders." Ruri stated as the charging of the Nadesico's most powerful weapon reached its pinnacle. Without missing a beat, Yurika nodded and narrowed her eyes at the swarm of Gulfer machines, hoping this attack, combined with that of the Archangel, could create enough chaos in the enemy ranks to allow Dendoh to capture Unicorn Drill...

"Very well then... lock on the target... and fire the Gravity Blast!" the blue-haired captain exclaimed.

**oooooooooo**

"Lohengrin... FIRE!" Murrue exclaimed.

At almost exactly the same time, the anti-matter cannons on the Archangel's "legs" fired a beam of solid, destructive red antimatter, while the Nadesico's front cannon shone for a short while and released a stream of concentrated gravity that tore through space in the form of an highly destructive beam! Gear Knight Ohga and a few Gulfer units were fast enough to dodge and get out of the way just in time... but most of the enemy reinforcements were swallowed by the two blasts, like tissue paper in a raging inferno, and desintegrated in a spectacular display of light and explosions! The remaining Gulfer quickly tried to get back in formation, but it was clear that the Gravity Blast and the Lohengrin had done their damage.

Unfortunately, the most dangerous member of the opposition was still there and looking more dangerous than ever. Piloted by the Gulfer's top enforcer Arthea, a tall man in a black bodysuit wearing an iron mask that completely concealed his face, an iron spike jutting out of the front, Gear Knight Ohga sent its remaining mechanical monsters to keep the pilots of both the Nadesico and the Archangel occupied, while he made a beeline for Unicorn Drill, who neighed again and tried to get away from the incoming enemy. The Nadesico fired some missiles, but Ohga, demonstrating his pilot's amazing skills, simply swatted them aside with a spectacular series of punckes and roundhouse kicks. With a speed nobody but the two preteen Dendoh pilots expected, Ohga closed the distance and delivered a punishing roundhouse kick to its blue counterpart, forcing Ginga and Hokuto to bring up Dendoj's arms in a guard pose in order to reduce damage. Even like this, though, the sheer power of the blow was enough to knock Dendoh away some.

"Aaaargh! Dammit, this guy is just as tough as ever!" Ginga cursed, glaring with animosity at Dendoh's dark counterpart, who seemed to be flaunting its superiority over them even as more of their newfound allies ran at Dendoh's side, getting ready to fight back. In the Gear Knight Ohga's cockpit, the mysterious masked Gulfer enforcer known as Arthea frowned slightly, seeing that he was having to deal with opponents who were tougher than he expected. If it was just Dendoh, he was fairly confident that the Data Weapon would soon be in his hands, but with Daitarn-3 and the Nadesico's Aestivalis, not to mention the Excellence-S, the Moebius Zero and the Aile Strike Gundam forming a wall around Unicorn Drill, he had to admit he was up against unfavourable odds.

"Alright, pal!" Fiona exclaimed. "I still don't know what the deal with these Data Weapons thing is, but I'm not letting you touch this! If you want to capture the unicorn, you'll have to go through me first!"

However, he decided that it was worth it to at least make an attempt at capturing Unicorn Drill. With an unexpected movement, Ohga dropped to its knees and used the turbines on its lower legs to propel itself across the ground, trying to force an opening in the wall of robots defending its mark! Dendoh was taken off guard and knocked aside, its two pilots screaming in disappointment as they were thrown around in their cockpits, but Banjou, being a lot more experienced, managed to anticipate the attack and counter it, dashing just a little aside the Ohga and hitting hit with a left hook that threw the Gear Knight to the ground and halted its advance! In the cockpit, Arthea grunted in disappointment - it would appear this was an opponent he could not afford to underestimate.

"Whoa! Have you seen that?" Hokuto exclaimed in shock and wonder. "That robot actually managed to hit Ohga!"

"You two kids! Take advantage of this and capture Unicorn Drill!" Banjou said, unsheating his robot's Daitarn Zanba and preparing to withstand the counterattack from Ohga. "I'll hold this guy off for as long as I can!"

"You mean, we are holding him off!" Ryoko intervened, shooting her Rapid Rifle. The bullets pelted the Gear Knight Ohga's side, but failed to do considerable damage. However, this action managed to distract Arthea long enough for the Excellence-S to blindside him and score a massive blow with its clawed arm!

"**Gigant Crusher!**" Fiona yelled, swinging the massive limb, coated in a destructive aura, at the Gear Knight's chest. Arthea was far too skilled a pilot to allow such an attack to hit him head-on, and managed to quickly bring up the Gear Knight's arms to defend himself, but the sheer force of the blow was still enough to stagger the dark Gear and force Arthea away, Ohga's feet digging a pair of massive trenches in the lunar soil! Grunting in disappointment, Arthea swung the Ohga's fist towards the Excellence-S and sent it flying for a short while, before it fell heavily on the ground... but Fiona managed to shake off her dizziness and had her robot climb back to its feet.

"Hm. In fact, in the face of such superior numbers, I am at a disadvantage." Arthea admitted to himself, his voice muffled by the featureless iron mask that encased his whole head. For their part, Ginga and Hokuto were trying to carefully approach Unicorn Drill, who was looking at Dendoh with uncertainty, its legs slightly bent and ready to run away at a moment's notice. Hokuto took a quick look at the rest of the team, who were doing their best to keep the Gulfer and Ohga occupied, then took a deep breath, steeled his resolve and advanced calmly yet firmly towards the Data Weapon.

"Hey, are you sure it's a good idea to let them face that guy all by themselves? You know how tough that guy is..." Ginga tried to say. However, Hokuto just gave his friend a thumbs-up, convinced that their newfound allies would have been more than capable of handling the top enforcer of the Gulfer.

"It will be okay! I trust that they will be able to handle this! We are no match for that guy as we are now.. all we can do is make good on the time they are buying us, and secure Unicorn Drill... it's all a matter of trusting them." Hokuto explained to his more hot-headed friend. For some reason, as soon as he said that, Unicorn Drill seemed to calm down and let out an inquisitive neigh, turning his head towards Dendoh and slowly advancing towards it.

"Hey, it seems to be calm now... what's this all about?" Ginga asked in wonder.

He got his answer when a comm screen showing Vega's masked face popped up on the Dendoh's consoles. "Each Data Weapon is drawn to a particular quality... and Unicorn Drill is looking for trust in others. Hokuto is the one who displayed it right now, and Unicorn Drill seems to have accepted you as its master." the masked woman explained, with an approving smile. "Now, download Unicorn Drill and File Save it to Dendoh's memory."

"File Save? How do we do that?" Ginga asked.

"All you have to do is raise your Gear Commander and yell: File Save!" Vega explained, pointing to the small cellphone-sized devices that both preteen pilots were carrying with them. "Quick, before Ohga can push his way through!"

Hokuto glances sideways at the battle, just in time to see the Aile Strike Gundam fire a few shots from its beam rifle and hit the Gear Knight Ohga in the side, staggering it a little. Mwu's Moebius Zero added to the attack, bombarding the enemy Gear with its wire-guided gunbarrels. Once again, Arthea was able to defend himself skillfully, but the continuous barrage of attacks he was subject to made it so he could not reach forward and catch up to Dendoh and Unicorn Drill. Knowing this was their chance to obtain the Data Weapon, Hokuto grabbed his Gear Commander and applied it to Dendoh's control panel, before activating it.

"Okay! Unicorn Drill, File Save!" the young boy exclaimed. Arthea managed to maneuver away from the Aile Strike Gundam and the rest of the team, but he was unable to reach the Data Weapon before it began glowing and being literally absorbed by Dendoh, turning into a shower of glowing pixels that soon reformed themselves into a disembodied unicorn head on Dendoh's right arm.

"No! It was taken by them..." Arthea muttered in disappointment. In front of him, the rest of the Nadesico and Archangel pilots had yet again assumed combat formation, and seemed to be ready totake him on again... and to add to that, the now Unicorn Drill equipped Dendoh was slowly advancing towards him.

Ginga smirked, now convinced that the battle was going to turn out in their favor. "Hehehee... so, what about it, ya big cheese? Not feeling so confident now, huh?" the young martial artist taunted his opponent. "Well then, let's see how you fare against us now that we have a Data Weapon!"

Arthea refused to take the bait. "I do not think so." he stated calmly, though his disappointment was evdent. "My mission was to capture the Data Weapon, and I failed. I have to retreat for now... but rest assured, we will meet again."

"Hey, don't run away!" Gai exclaimed, trying to recall the Gulfer commander. "Stay here and fight like a man!"

Unfortunately, Gear Knight Ohga had already taken off, and was heading back to the place it had come from, followed by the few remaining Gulfer units. With a disappointed grunt, Gai tried to follow him and take another shot at him, but Banjou held him back with a wave of Daitarn-3's arm. "Let him go. We're better off if we don't try to fight him now. Furthermore, we have some more important things to wworry about for now... for example, how is it that an Archangel-class battleship has come all the way here from Heliopolis. One would think they'd try to reach Earth as soon as possible."

A weary sigh came from the Aile Strike Gundam's cockpit, and Kira Yamato, the brown-haired, innocent-looking young man at the controls of the new-generation Gundam, appeared on the screens to explain the situation to everyone. "Thanks for the help, everyone..." he said with a small, sad smile. "It is kinda long to explain, but as you already heard... we come from the colony of Heliopolis, which was attacked by a joint ZAFT and Giganos force a few days ago. We managed to get away thanks to this Gundam and... a few other allies. But we lost our allies along the way, and we are currently trying to reach the closest Giganos base where the Idaho, our companion cargo ship, has been taken."

"The Idaho, huh?" Ryoko answered, having already heard such a name. "If I recall correctly, that's the name of an Earth Union cargo which was tasked with taking a very important cargo to the Earth Union military... is that right?"

"Well... yes, something along those lines." Mwu said, his own comm screen appearing alongside Kira's. "But... let's just say those Giganos jerks didn't take kindly to it, and managed to ambush us and capture the Idaho. As of now, we are heading to the Giganos base where our allies have been taken. But... maybe you'd like to discuss this more calmly on the Archangel's main bridge, right? I'll send a request to Captain Ramius to allow you guys on board, but I don't think there will be problems!"

"That's great to know, Captain Mwu La Flaga!" Yurika exclaimed cheerfully. "You've been a great help to us all!"

**oooooooooo**

Only half an hour later, all the units had docked in the Archangel's hangar, where the personnel soon began working on repairing damage to the Aile Strike, the Moebius Zero and Dendoh. Luckily, none of the units had taken too much damage, and they would soon be battle worthy again.

Ginga and Hokuto, wearing their piloting uniforms, were walking down the hangar and into the Archangel's main bridge, with Hokuto looking pridefully at his Gear Commander. The image of Unicorn Drill was blinking on the small screen, emitting a soothing blue light, which Kira and Mwu were looking at in curiosity.

"Woah, so that's a Data Weapon, huh? That looks pretty cool!" Mwu commented.

"And now that you've caught it, what are you going to do with it?" Kira asked, himself amazed at the fact that the mysterious unicorn-like creature could stay in that small device.

The answer came from Vega as soon as the four pilots reached the main bridge. "A Data Weapon is an electronic entity that can be combined with Dendoh in order to unlock new powers and abilities." she explained. "For example... Unicorn Drill, the one that has just been File Saved to Hokuto's Gear Commander, allows Dendoh to use a special defense mechanism called Firewall, which makes Dendoh impervious to enemy fire."

Kira nodded in understanding. "Hmm, I see. In other words, it's pretty much like the Striker Packs for the Strike Gundam." he commented. As he entered the bridge, he tiredly waved to the rest of his friends, who gathered around him to see if he was alright.

"Hey, Kira! You did a great job out there!" the brown-haired, youthful-looking Tolle Koenig said, jauntily slapping his hand on Kira's shoulder.

"Are you alright, Kira?" asked a pretty red-haired girl with her hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a bright pink uniform. Kira blushed slightly at that, and nodded shyly at flay, the girl he had a crush on ever since before the whole debacle had started.

"I'm okay, Flay... this was a rather simple battle compared to the ones we've had before." he answered. "I guess Lt. La Flaga and I have to thank Ginga and Hokuto here for their help... and the crew of the Nadesico as well. Without them, things might have turned out very differently."

"Oh, man... but aren't the Dendoh pilots a little... young?" Miriallia asked, surprised and a little shocked at the appearence of Ginga and Hokuto. "I mean, I've heard of young pilots, but... these kids are barely in their double digits! How is it that they've been assigned this duty?"

Vega looked distraught for a split second, as she took a long, meaningful glance at Hokuto... "Sadly, we're not sure ourselves... it was Dendoh itself who chose them as its pilots." she explained. "I know it sounds strange, but that's the best explanation we at GEAR could come up with. In any case, they've handled themselves very well for now... they even managed to capture a Data Weapon just now."

"But there is one thing I'd like to know..." Ginga said, somewhat irritated. "Why is it that the Data Weapon went to Hokuto's Gear Commander instead of mine?"

"As I said, each Data Weapons is drawn to one particular quality of humanity." Vega calmly explained. "Unicorn Drill is attracted to trust in others, of which Hokuto gave proof when he trusted Kira, Mwu and the Nadesico crew to face Gear Knight Ohga. That is why Unicorn Drill is now kept in Hokuto's Gear Commander."

Ginga sighed in resignation. "Hmph... fine then. But the next Data Weapon we come across will be mine, got it?"

Elsewhere, the rest of the Nadesico pilots were talking to Murrue Ramius, thanking her and her crew for helping them out. Fiona, in particular, was introducing herself to the Archangel's Captain, holding her healthy hand up in a military salute. "My name is Fiona Grayden, pilot of the Excellence-S and temporary crewwoman of the Nadesico. I must thank you as well for your aid... and I am prepared to lend you my aid in any way I can."

"We would be grateful for that." Murrue explained. "Our allies are still in the hands of Giganos Empire, and we have reasons to believe that ZAFT has sent their best pilots to support their allies. We are going to need your aid, if we are to recover the Idaho and the Dragonar units... and posssibly recover the pilots of the Dragonars, who were missing in action following the capture of the Idaho."

"The Dragonars?" Banjou asked. "This is news to me... I've heard that the Earth Union was planning to capture some new-generation Metal Armors in order to start a mass production of our own... I'd guess that the Dragonars are what we came up with, right?"

"Exactly so." Natarle answered with a nod. "If we were to recover them and deliver them to HQ, it would still be a significant step forward in our war against the ZAFT / Giganos / Neo Zeon alliance. However, to do that, we need to recover the units from the hands of the Giganos elite guard."

"In this case, I don't see why we can't give you our aid." Ryoko answered, nodding seriously. "You guys seemed quite understaffed, and I think some more aid might be useful. We'll speak to Captain Misumaru about this, but I'm sure she'll be glad to provide aid."

Murrue smiled slightly. Finally, for the first time ever since hey had left Heliopolis, things were beginning to look up for them. "We are very grateful for that." she explained. "Alright, then... I'll contact Captain MIsumaru and speak to her about this. Together, we stand a better chance against our enemies..."

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	29. Prisoner 216

**Super Robot Taisen S**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 29 - Prisoner 216**

While the Archangel and the Nadesico were on their way after having met and having repelled a Gulfer assault together, a lone transport ship, which seemed to have been customized in order to be battleworth as well, was travelling towards the same destination as the two Earth Union battleships - the Giganos spaceport where the Idaho had been taken. The HOME, a Marseille-III class transport ship that belonged to the Junk Guild, the famous group of junk dealers and techs, was trying to be as incospicuous as possible as they got closer to their target... and at the same time, in the hangars of the ship, a rather strange conversation was taking place between a trio of well-known pilots, and an equally familiar Junk Guild mechanic, who was looking in awe and curiosity at the three machines standing tall, if somewhat banged up, in the HOME's hangars.

"Well... I have to say, you Junk Guild techs were lifesavers here!" Light Newman, the dirty blond pilot of the Dragonar D-3, said evenly as he stared in admiration at the great job that had been done to repair his damaged unit and those of his friends. "I almost didn't dare to hope you guys had the right parts to repair three new Metal Armor models, and instead... here they are, almost as good as new!"

The young Junk Guild tech they were talking to, a jolly-looking young man with spiky brown hair wearing a blue headband and a yellow jacket over a black shirt, along with rather worn-out blue jeans and trainers, chuckled good-naturedly and rubbed the bridge of his nose, obviously proud of his doing. "Hehehee... remember, guys, there is nothing mechanical that your friend Lowe Guele, proud member of the Junk Guild, cannot fix! Just give me the right tools, and I can make your robot look as good as new! Though, I guess I can't hog all the credit, since Yoon did her share of the job too... and personally, I was surprised at the technology that was used to build these... Dragonars, however you call them. I've seen a few Metal Armors before, but these are quite different from any other of them. They all seem to be quite a bit stronger than your average Metal Armor too."

"Let's just say... we kinda ended up having to pilot these babies in order not to get us killed when Giganos and ZAFT had the bright idea to attack our home colony." the pilot of the Dragonar-1, the brown-haired Ken Wakaba, said coolly after rubbing the back of his head. A small pang of anxiety struck him as he remembered that his mom was still missing, but he tried to ignore that - there were things more urgent to do. "We got the keys for starting up these Metal Armors from a dying Giganos agent, and we needed to pilot them in order to escape with our lives when Heliopolis was targetted by Giganos' Mass Driver."

Tapp Oceano, the young boy of color piloting the bulky Dragonar-2, a darkly-colored unit with a air of huge cannons mounted on its shoulder, nodded grimly at that. "And we were doing quite a good job of it too... along with our friend Kira, who ended up piloting a new model of Gundam... until we got ambushed by Giganos and ZAFT while we were resupplying at Artemis. The Archangel, one of the ships we were escaping with, managed to escape... but the ship on which our friends were stationed, Idaho, was captured by the joint ZAFT and Giganos forces, and they were taken to the Giganos base we're heading to right now. I don't know what they are trying to do with them, but it's certainly nothing good. And in fact, we still need to thank you for saving us while we were drifting away after being defeated by those Giganos jerks. Without your help, we might not have lived to see another day."

"Well, well... that's quite a mess you're in, guys... and you've found the right kind of people when it comes to getting out of trouble!" Lowe stated. "I think we can help you, anyway. While we aren't really in great terms with Giganos, the Junk Guild does have a reputation for neutrality, and even though they might look down upon us, they certainly won't refuse to give our ship a brief period of refuge. That will be your clue for infiltrating the base and free your friends... and when you retreat, we will be glad to cover you!"

"You're taking quite a risk here, you know that?" Light stated, looking back at the hot blooded Junk Guild tech. "If word of the fact that you're aiding and abetting a group of infiltrators, the Junk Guild's reputation could suffer a heavy blow."

Lowe just shrugged his shoulders, leaning on the leg of one of the three Dragonar units standing in the HOME's hangar. "Ah, that will be no biggie. You do have to save your friends, don't you? And to be honest, I like the idea of teaching a nice lesson to those Giganos jerks. I've never liked those guys... they think we of the Junk Guild are a bunch of uneducated, ignorant animals just because we're mostly Earthlings. What was it that they called us, again? Oh, right... terrans! Meh... jackasses! The idea of giving them a nice wake-up call and show them what these silly Earthlings can do is just too good to pass up!"

"Y'know, Lowe, old chap... I think you and I are pretty much on the same wavelength when it comes to those Giganos assholes!" Kain stated with a mischievous grin. The Dragonar pilot and the Junk Guild tech fist-bumped each other in a sing of accordance, and both Tapp and Light had to concur that the two of them were so much alike, it was almost scary...

"I think we didn't just hit the jackpot when we met this ship after getting trashed by those imperials... we have even found someone who is an almost perfect carbon copy of our friend Kain here!" Tapp joked, prompting the trio and their new friend to share a chuckle, before a strong yet calm female voice broke them out of their reverie.

"A-hem... While I do appreciate showing of friendship and whatnot, I would like to remind you that we are nearing Giganos space. The space station the Idaho was brought to is a few minutes ahead of us." It was the voice of a tall, mature-looking woman with long, curly reddish-brown hair, polished looking-glasses on the bridge of her nose, and a small beauty mark on the corner of her left eye, wearing a long white coat over a red shirt with matching trousers and brown work shoes, as well as a pair of golden earrings. The captain of the HOME, only known as her nickname of 'The Professor', walked into the hangars, closely followed by a young teenage girl with light brown hair tied in a ponytail, yellow-and-orange work clothes befitting of a mechanic with matching shoes, and a somewhat sleepy expression on her face.

"Oh, Chief! Yoon! We were just waiting for you to tell us that!" Lowe stated, jauntily greeting the HOME's captain and the newest addition to the crew, a young and clumsy girl they had rescued from the wreckage of the Heliopolis colony, and who had quickly shown herself to be just as talented as Lowe when it came to fixing machinery. "And I can see that the repairs we've done on the Dragonars are top-notch!"

"Yep, we need to thank you for the good job you've done!" Kain stated, now talking to the brown-haired girl in yellow named Yoon. "If it wasn't for you, we'd still be sitting ducks in space!"

Yoon smiled timidly, rubbing the back of her head as if the praise she was receiving was somehow embarassing her. "Oh, you know... we really didn't do anything that extraordinary." she stated. "We just... well... took a good look at these Dragonars, and determined the best way to get them up to speed again. We were lucky we had all the materials we needed too."

"C'mon, now, Yoon, you should be proud of the work you've done!" Lowe said, grinning at her and giving her a thumbs-up. "Not everyone can boast about being able to work on a never-seen-before machine within just a few hours of examining it. And I kinda get the feeling that thanks to the job we've pulled off, those Giganos jerks will get one hell of a rude awakening."

"Speaking of which, Kisato just told me that the space station you three kids were looking for is just ahead. You might want to get ready. As soon as we reach the spaceport, you will need to sneak inside without drawing their attention." the Professor went on. "We will obviously try to help you as much as we can, and Lowe's Astray Red Frame is in standby just in case things turn sour, but once inside the main body of the station, you're going to be on your own. Take care not to get caught. I do not think the Giganos will take kindly to people trespassing on their territory."

"If worst comes to worst, I guess we'll be sent in front of a firing squad." Light commented in an incredibly nonchalant manner, causing both Kain and Tapp to widen their eyes in incredulity.

"Hey! You don't have to be so blunt about it, you know?" Tapp exclaimed.

"Relax, it's not like we can back out of it now." Light answered. "We were deep in this as soon as we were caught in the crossfire, so... all we can do for now is try and get out of this alive! Just keep your cool, and everything will be A-Okay. I will use my D-3 hacking equipment to make a nice scan of the place, and I will guide you two to our friends. All you have to do will be to follow my instructions and take care not to get spotted."

"Very well, then... in this case, I guess we'll just have to get ourselves ready!" Yoon exclaimed, getting a bit of confidence. She quickly turned away and began walking towards the main bridge of the HOME... only to hit her face against the wall, which she had absent-mindedly placed herself right next to! Lowe, the Professor and the Dragonar pilots sweatdropped as the clumsy mechanic girl ended up sitting on the floor, rubbing her sore nose in an embarassed manner!

"Owwww... that hurt!" she lamented. "I'm so soooooorry, guys, I always mess things up..."

"Er... no need to be so hard on yourself, Yoon..." Lowe commented, though privately he could understand why his friend would be so lacking in confidence...

oooooooooo

At the helm of the salvage ship, the young Junk Guild trainee Kisato Yamabuki, a cute-looking Natural girl with fiery red hair lightly sweeping upwards at both sides of her head, her face lightly sprayed with freckles, and wearing a black tank top, a purple short-sleeved jacket, and a pair of low-waist jeans with black work shoes, was busy fidgetting with the communications in order to receive the hail signal the Giganos were already sending at the HOME. "Ugh... just wait a second while I get this thing working? Geez, the haste of some people..." she muttered to herself, before finally connecting the right cable and stabilizing the signal. The hardened face of a Giganos officer, wearing the trademark grey uniform with a golden G emblazoned on the front of his hat, greeted the young Natural as she quickly saluted, and Kisato felt the haughty stare of the Giganos soldier as she tried to quickly straighten herself. "HOME to Giganos base, we can hear you now. We are on a retrieval mission for the Junk Guild, and we need to stop at your space station for repairs and resupply. We ask that you let us in for the amount of time necessary to do the job, then we will depart."

The Giganos officer arrogantly stroke his thin black mustache, keeping an arm behind his back and his chest (or better say, his rotund belly) stuck out in a display of superiority. "Hmph. Why should we allow a Junk Guild vessel to stop at our station, when we are in the middle of an important operation?" he stated, not even bothering to hide what most of his companions thought about the Junk Guild, and Earthlings in general. "Need we remind you that, no matter what privileges you might enjoy within the PLANT and the colonies, Giganos Empire has refused to adhere to the same conventions. Therefore, we are not obliged to give shelter to your carrier ship, under any circumstances. And now, if you please, scram. We have more important things to worry about."

Kisato frowned angrily to herself, wishing she could just reach through the screen and punch that fool in the kisser... but luckily for her, a more diplomatic approach came in the form of one of her fellow crewmembers: the crew's spokesperson Liam Garfield, a pleasant-looking Coordinator with long deep-blue hair, stepped up and placed himself beside Kisato, his white coat starkly contrasting with his dark bodysuit and black boots as he calmly levelled a glance of his own at the arrogant Giganos officer.

"Now, now, officer, let us try to discuss things in a civil manner." he stated evenly. "Now, I understand that Giganos has never been interested in exchanging anything with our guild, and we dare not presume to be as important as to be invaluable to your country. However, I would like to remind you that your allies, the Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty, does value our services, and would most likely be displeased if one of their allies levelled threats at the Junk Guild or outright refused to give them a temporary haven. That would cause diplomatic tensions you have no use for, am I correct?"

"Wh... What?" the Giganos officer stammered, taken off guard by the sound reasoning. He had been expecting the HOME crew to insist on pretending shelter, but he had found himself completely at a loss as to how to retort to Liam's logic. In the end, after a scent few moments of tension and exchanged glances on both sides, the Giganos officer relented and sighed angrily. "Hmph. Alright then. Hurry up and do your thing, then leave as quickly as you came. You have three hours to do what you need to, so get to it right away."

"Thanks. Three hours will be more than enough." Kisato commented, before adding to herself. "_Dumbass._"

"However, we still insist on examining your cargo." the Giganos officer insisted. "We will sent some of our soldiers to conduct a thorough inspection of your ship, and report to us if they find anything suspicious. So, do not try to get smart with us, am I clear?"

Kisato shrugged. "Transparent. It would be foolish of you to just allow us on board without checking first." she said. The Giganos officer grunted in disapproval and turned away without even saying a word, and as soon as the conversation ended and the screens shut down, Kisato smirked and gave Liam a thumbs-up. "Thank you for the save, Liam! They feel for it... hook, line and sinker! Heh, and to think the Giganos regard themselves as the chosen people... I guess there was a mistake when the lottery was held, huh?"

"Overconfidence will do that to you." Liam explained with a shrug. "But the hard part comes now... we have to make sure our Dragonar friends are able to get inside the station, and make sure they get inside the station without being intercepted by the Giganos. It's going to be harder than those guys might think...

oooooooooo

As the HOME stopped in the station's spaceport and its hatches slowly opened, a couple of Giganos soldiers carrying the standard weapon, a couple of semi-automatic rifles, stepped on the main ridge, regarding the Professor, Kisato, Liam and a somewhat fearful Yoon with cold appraising gaze. "We have been ordered to check this cargo, in order to ascertain that nothing illegal is introduced to this station." one of them barked coldly. "Take us to the hangar. We need to check the presence of Metal Armors or other weapons on board."

In front of the no-nonsense tone of the Giganos soldiers, the Professor admirably kept her cool and adjusted her glasses, motioning for the two soldiers to follow her. "We have already had an inspection of our cargo earlier, but I guess a second go won't hurt anyone." she stated. "Please, follow me. I will show you to the hangars, and you will be able to see that we have nothing to declare."

Motioning for the other members of the crew to stay calm, and that she had things under control, the Professor guided the two Giganos soldiers towards the door to the hangars of the huge cargo ship and opened them with a remote, before giving thetwo inspectors permission to enter. Slowly and carefully, the two soldiers walked into the darkened hangar and began looking around... only to instantly get clobbered on the head by a pair of blunt objects that fell upon them out of nowhere, knocking them out cold! With barely a grunt of surprise, the two fell to the ground and blacked out... just as Lowe and Kain, each one of them holding an heavy-looking wrench in their hands, grinned and gave each other a thumbs-up!

"Way to go, man!" Lowe congratulated. "Now we've got two KO'd Giganos goons... and two uniforms for you to take!"

"That's right... and with this, it shouldn't be too hard to infiltrate the Giganos base and get to the prisoners!" Kain exclaimed, dragging one of the unconscious soldiers away, right behind the leg of the Dragonar-1, while Tapp did the same with the other. The two Dragonar pilots quickly swapped their uniforms with those of the Giganos soldiers, and after a while, which they spent trying to fit the uniforms to their bodes, they were able to walk away looking quite similar to an actual Giganos soldier. In a brief moment of vanity, Tapp couldn't help but glance proudly at how the uniform seemed to be perfectly fit for him.

"Boy, I sure wish the Earth Union military had uniforms this comfortable!" Tapp stated. "The suits we use are so stuffy..."

"I think you'd better enjoy it while you can, because you won't get the chance to wear it for long." Light advised him. "Now, everybody, I'll get into the cockpit of the Dragonar-3 and tell you how to get to the Idaho. It should be rather easy to find it, and the prisoners... Linda and Rose included... shouldn't be too far away from there! You two be careful, and try not to run into a patrol while you're out there."

"In any case, I and the rest of the crew will be on the lookout if things go wrong." Lowe stated. "My Astray Red Frame is already prepped and read to take off as soon as it's needed."

Both Kain and Tapp gave a mock salute... just as a small communication device on Tapp's belt went off, slightly vibrating and emitting a faint, yet high-pitched sound. After being startled for a short while, the young boy of color quickly understood that it was a call from the space station's higher-ups in order to check how the inspection was doing, and he quickly cleared his voice as he grabbed the device and answered.

"_Patrol 7? Patrol 7 this is HQ, do you copy?_" the gruff voice of a Giganos officer said on the other side of the call. Tapp took a small breath and tried to modulate his voice so that he would sound older than he actually was, all in order to throw off the caller.

"Patrol 7 here. We hear you loud and clear." he answered, hoping he was being convincing. "We have thoroughly checked the cargo, and we have found nothing worthy of note. The Junk Guild personnel have given their word that they will leave as soon as possible, so we need not worry about them."

"_Fine. If that is the case, then go back to your duties. Just check that those terrans actually leave when they are supposed to._" the officer concluded, before ending the conversation, not even allowing Tapp a chance to answer back. The young boy sighed in relief before turning to Kain, and winking in understanding.

"Well, Tapp... let it never be said that you aren't a born actor!" Kain stated with a grin. "Those Giganos idiots fell for it completely!"

"Yeah... but I guess it's time for us to split, before the Giganos begin suspecting something might be wrong." The taller boy answered. "Let's go for it and get to Rose and the others!"

"Hehehee... don't think I didn't catch on on how you said Rose's name in particular!" Kain ribbed him on. Tapp chuckled nervously, trying to hide the blush on his face as Light chuckled, thinking to himself that those two would never change after all... For his part, Lowe was a little confused on the matter, but decided he would wait until the whole deal was resolved before asking questions...

ooooooooooo

In the deeper parts of the Giganos base, a large group of soldiers was listening to the speech a commander was making... the same officer who had "greeted" the crew of the HOME as they had reached the station, a fat, overlarge, arrogant-looking man in a white uniform, with an hat covering his balding head, and a thin moustache giving his rough face some parvence of dignity, who was now standing at a low desk, in front of a large audience. The sound of clapping and cheering went on for a while, before the commander raised one hand, motioning for the rest of the soldiers to be quiet.

"Faithful Giganos soldiers!" he began emphatically. "It is with great pride and satisfaction that I stand before you right now! As representatives of the new order, it is our duty to spread peace and prosperity throughout the universe, and the enlightened hand of our beloved leader, Marshall Guiltorre, is about to seize Earth!"

He paused, as if to better allow the concept to sink in the minds of his underlings... and as if on cue, a red draping behind him fell, revealing a large picture of Giganos Empire's supreme leader, Marshall Iskandar Guiltorre, with his greying hair and elegant uniform, his hawkish eyes staring severely at the viewer. As if on cue, the Giganos soldiers all did a military salute, raising their right hands in front of themselves, and repeating the supreme leader's name.

"Guiltorre! Guiltorre! Guiltorre!" the soldiers chanted for a while, before their commander spoke up again.

"Just look at what has happened! Your brave companions have sacrificed their lives, like avenging angels out to spread the new order in this chaos-plagued world... and along with our allies, Neo Zeon and ZAFT, we are quickly and surely bringing down the old, corrupt regime of the Earth Union! The day of reckoning is getting closer and closer! Our knowledge has brought the light of salvation to the terrans, saving them from the darkness and guiding them to newest frontiers! And what did the terrans do to repay us for our kindness and generosity? In their ignorance, in their stupidity, those monkeys have mistaken our noble goals and our greatness for wickedness and lust for power! And what is this, if not an irrefutable proof of our superiority? Just look at what the terrans are doing right now! They have fallen prey to chaos, sinking into the quagmire of corruption and decadence, unable to seize the hand we are so generously extended towards them! But we will not have our fate denied by those inferior beings! As the next step in human evolution, it is both our right and our duty, along with those who have embraced the revolution we bring forth, to seize the Earth for ourselves, in order to guide the ignorant masses, and ensure that the future of mankind is a bright one, under one single banner... the banner of the Lunar Empire of Giganos!"

Again, the soldiers broke out into an enthusiastic applause, praising their leader's speech and feeling energized and ready to take on the Earth Union army once again. The commander stroked his moustache and smiled a smug, self-satisfied grin, knowing that victory was safely in the grasp of the Giganos / ZAFT / Neo Zeon triumvirate. The Idaho was in their hands, and soon, the Dragonar units would follow suit... there was nothing in the galaxy who could stop the rise of the Lunar Empire of Giganos, or at least, that's what every Giganos soldier around there was convinced of...

oooooooooo

"Ugh... you're telling me this is what he had to say? What bullshit..."

Someone was not quite as enthusiastic about the commander's speech, anyway... especially a certain arrogant white-haired redcoat of the Le Crueset team. Yzak Joule, along with his teammates, was listening to the speech from a private room in the space station, in which the five ZAFT cadets were staying as part of another strategy from their commander. All five of them had been given standing orders to disembark at the Giganos base, bringing their Gundams with them (in Shiho's case, her CGUE Deep Arms), and stand ready to intervene as soon as the Archangel showed up. It was quite obvious to everyone there that the legged ship, as the Archangel was commonly known among the ZAFT military forces, would soon show up to try and retake the Idaho, as well as to look for the Dragonar units... and this was obviously Giganos' and ZAFT's best chance to capture the Archangel as well as the Strike Gundam. With all G-Weapons safely on their side, the Giganos / ZAFT / Neo Zeon alliance could safely say that the mission would be accomplished in its entirety.

Unfortunately for the five redcoats, that also meant having to endure that pompous idiot's speeches from a live transmission in their quarters, and the reactions among the members of the Le Crueset team were quite varied. While Athrun remained calm and unfazed, possibly even apathetic, Shiho was just staring around in a bored way, Dearka had a mocking smile on his face, Yzak was visibly pissed and annoyed, while Nicol just sighed and rubbed his forehead. "It's just because we're expecting the legged ship to show up sooner or later that I'm staying here... if it was just for me, I certainly wouldn't stay here listening to this idiot flapping his gums!"

"I wouldn't put it so bluntly... but yeah, staying here to listen to this rhetoric isn't exactly high on my list of priorities." Dearka commented snarkily. "Still, I guess this is just a small price to pay for our chance to even the score with the legged ship. I'm sure you're itching for another chance to take on the Strike, aren't you, Yzak?"

The impulsive white-haired redcoat smirked cockily. "You can say that, yeah." he stated, causing Athrun to frown in anxiety. He was hoping to get another shot at the Strike Gundam himself, but in his case, his motives were as far as they could be from a matter of personal pride...

"_You are still with the legged ship, aren't you, Kira?_" Athrun thought to himself. He took a deep breath and steadied himself, trying to get ready for either convincing Kira... or fighting him to the bitter end. "_Things weren't supposed to be this way... why can't you understand that those people are just using you, and will turn on you as soon as they won't need you anymore? We are Coordinators, we are supposed to stick together..._"

"Speaking of which..." Athrun spoke up, trying to distract himself from such depressing thoughts. "Is Captain Meio Plato up to date with the recent movements of the legged ship? I dare presume he is to assist us in case we were attacked."

"That would be the case, in fact..." Shiho answered, taking a look at a small map of the space station which she kept with herself. "However, as of now, he's personally supervising the handling of the crew of the Idaho, the cargo ship we have captured. The Dragonars weren't on board, but it seems there is someone on that ship that Captain Plato wants to meet."

"I just hope Captain Plato is careful with what he's doing." Nicol commented. "We cannot afford to divide our attention now that we are closer than ever to our goal. Though I can understand it might be a matter of great importance to Captain Plato himself."

Athrun nodded, before sighing and looking at the steel-grey ceiling in a pensive way, as if staring at the cold, hard metal could give him an idea on how to solve the situation with Kira...

oooooooooo

For his part, the Giganos ace Meio Plato, aka the Blue Hawk of Giganos, had his own problems. The crew of the Idaho, under the harsh scrutiny of several soldiers, were being forced to march in a dimly lit corridor, each of them having a small plate pinned on their clothes, upon which a 3-digit number had been written as some sort of crude ID. Meio Plato was sitting in a cabin above the corridor, from which he was able to take a careful look at each prisoner as they walked by... and he seemed to be intent of finding someone or something, to the confusion of the grunt who was with him at the moment, sitting beside him.

"I do no mean to disrespect you, Captain Plato. But almost all members of the Idaho crew are civilians, as you can plainly see." the soldier stated as soon as another group had gone through the examination. "I do not think they might know anything about the Dragonars or their whereabouts."

"That will be for me to decide, soldier." Meio stated laconically. "Send in another group."

Not willing to discuss a superior's orders, the grunt shrugged and placed his mouth close to a microphone. "Of course, sir. My apologies. Send in the prisoners from number 211 to 220 for examination."

Meio nodded and looked carefully at the images on his screen, hoping that the person he was looking for was among this group...

oooooooooo

In the hangars of the Idaho, a large number of the ship's crew, each of them disarmed and signed with a numbered plate, were waiting for the time of their examination to arrive, several armed Giganos soldiers close to them. The atmosphere was heavy with fear and suspect, and the fact that the Giganos soldiers refused to even speak with them, limiting themselves to shoving them or barking orders when they wanted something done, was certainly not helping. Among this group of prisoners, there were the two girls who had befriended Kain, Tapp and Light during their time on the Idaho, the vivacious brunette Rose and the seemingly frosty blonde Linda, along with Sgt. Diana Lance, all three of whom were admirably keeping their cool in spite of the situation they were in.

"I don't understand..." Rose said, after having checked to be out of any soldier's earshot. "What is the point of having us go through this examination? What do they hope to gain by that?"

"It almost sounds like they are looking for someone." Linda stated. "Perhaps they are convinced that Kain and the others are still with us, and they want to find them. I don't know what they want to do with them, but it surely won't be anything good."

"The important thing is never to lose hope, girls..." Diana started to say, before a soldier relayed the orders given by his superiors.

"Enough of idle chit-chat!" he barked. "Numbers from 211 to 220 are to follow us, so get ready for examination!"

Linda took a look at the plates she, Rose and Diana were wearing, and saw that their numbers were, respectively, 216, 214 and 215, so they quickly stood up and placed themselves in line along with the other prisoners of their group. As soon as all were accounted for, the ten prisoners were sent to walk along the usual corridor, with Rose giving a dirty look at the cabin standing above them and sticking her tongue out at whoever was watching them...

oooooooooo

Meio's steely countenance did not waver as he regarded the newest batch of prisoners with a cold, appraising eye... at least, not until he set his eyes upon Linda, the prisoner bearing the 216 number. As soon as he saw her standing in the corridor under the bright lights, regarding her captors with dignity, the Blue Hawk's expression faltered for a short while. It was just for a couple seconds, but it was enough for the Giganos soldier who was with him to notice. It was very much unlike Captain Plato to look surprised...

"Er... is anything the matter, Captain Plato?" he asked.

Meio's stoic expression quickly returned. "I would like to personally interrogate prisoner number 216. Have her separated from the rest of the group and bring her to my personal quarters." he ordered.

The grunt took a good look at the prisoner in question. "Prisoner 216, you say?" he stated, before allowing himself a small, knowing smile. That girl was pretty cute, and the soldier was not surprised that his superior wanted some time alone with her... "Of course, sir. I will have her brought to you... right away."

Rightly suspecting what his underling was thinking, Meio quickly rebuked him. "You are not to draw conclusions." he stated matter-of-factly, causing his underling to grow flustered and quickly get his mind out of the gutter.

"Er... yes, sir! I apologize... separate prisoner 216 from the rest of the group!"

oooooooooo

"Prisoner 216, walk forward. All the rest of the prisoners, proceed forward!"

This order, given without a moment of hesitation by a Giganos soldier, took the group of Idaho crewmembers by surprise, and Linda herself widened her eyes in shock as one of the soldiers approached her and grabbed her by the elbow, prompting her to walk away from the line of hostages. "What?" Rose exclaimed, trying to come to Linda's defence, but being quickly stopped by another Giganos grunt. "What's the meaning of this? What do you want with Linda?"

"Haven't you heard? I said that prisoner 216 is to come with us! The rest must proceed as indicated!" the enemy soldier who had spoken first declared.

"We would like to remind you that there are international rules on how to handle POWs!" Diana exclaimed, though it did not look like the Giganos soldiers really cared about such things as international laws. The situation seemed to be about to escalate, when Linda regained her bearings and stepped forward, accepting to go along with what had been ordered.

"Fine. I'll come with you." she stated. Two Giganos soldiers, nodding in satisfaction, quickly placed themselves at her sides in order to escort her out, while Rose tried to intervene.

"Wait... wait a moment, Linda! Are you sure?" the brunette asked in worry.

Linda smiled gently at her. "It is better to go along with what they want for now. Don't worry about me, Rose... I'll handle myself. They won't try to hurt me, since they seemed to be specifically looking for me." she reassured, before taking on a more steely countenance and glare back at the Giganos soldiers. "I'm ready. Take me to your superior."

"Linda..." Diana murmured to herself, placing a hand on the distraught Rose's shoulder. "In that case, good luck. We'll pray for your safety."

"That will be enough. Thank you very much!" Linda concluded, turning to her two friends with a smile, before she was dragged away by the soldiers...

oooooooooo

"Okay guys... all you have to do now is take a right, and you'll get close to the hangars where the Idaho is being kept." Light said through the D-3's communicator, as Kain and Tapp skillfully made their way through the corridors and the passages of the space station. "You need to be careful, though. Surveillance is heavier around there. Find the prisoners and rescue them, then we will need to get our butts out of here."

"Alright, Light! What would we do without you and your guidance?" Kain said with a chuckle. "Wait for me, Linda, I'm coming! I'll get you out of this place!"

The two boys were about to proceed, when Tapp motoned for Kain to wait and duck behind what looked like a low wall, while at the same time pointing to a construction not too far away from them. Curious to know what was the big deal about that, Kain followed his friend's indication and turned his eyes towards a window on the building, through which a familiar figure could be seen: a tall man wearing the uniform of an high-ranking Giganos officer, with short and neatly combed beige hair who was staring out of the window, an icy expression on his face.

"Hey, what the..." Kain stated. "Hey, isn't that guy the Blue Hawk bastard we faced when we were escaping to Artemis? The same one who trashed our Dragonars back then?"

"That's him alright! We seem to have stumbled upon his personal quarters by pure chance!" Tapp answered. "We need to stay hidden, or we can kiss our chances of freeing our friends goodbye!"

The two Dragonar pilots ducked low behind the wall, peeking out just enough to see what Meio was doing, but not enough for the Giganos ace to be able to see them... and after a whole minute of waiting, during which Meio did not move an inch from his place, they managed to see someone else entering the room in which Meio was. From his position, Kain was able to see a Giganos soldier escorting a young blonde girl into the room... and as soon as the young man was able to mae out a light blue shirt with a long skirt and a ponytail, he widened his eyes in realization!

"Linda!" he said out loud, before impulsively trying to stand up and run to her... but luckily, Tapp grabbed him by the shoulder and motioned for him to stay hidden nd not give away their presence. "Ow! Hey, Tapp, what's the big deal?"

"The plan is not to get discovered now, wise guy!" the boy of color reminded Kain. "I know you are worried about her, but let's just wait and see for now! We don't want to have every Giganos in this place after our asses, do we?"

Kain grumbled something under his breath, but understood that Tapp was right, and went back to hiding. He could see the Giganos soldier walking away after saluting his superior, and that Linda and Meio had been left alone in the room...

oooooooooo

As son as she was left alone with the Giganos captain in the richly furnished room, complete with an exquisite painting of the Giganos supreme leader Iskandar Guiltorre hanging by a wall, Linda was seized by a strange feeling of dread, and took a step backwards, the heels of her shoes making no noise as they sunk into the precious red carpet covering the floor... and a split second later, the beige-haired man began turning to her, a hint of a warm smile on his otherwise cold face.

"It has been a long time, Linda." Meio started. "I can see you are doing well."

Linda grit her teeth as her fears were realized. "Brother..." she murmured, glaring angrily at Meio as he walked to her.

"I have been looking for you. Why have you run away from Giganos?" he asked in sincere concern. Linda turned her head away from him, not even dignifying him with a response, and Meio sighed in what Linda was not sure if it was anger or pity. "So... I can see that, even after all this time, your resentment towards me still burns strong."

"And I will keep it that way." Linda answered back in anger. "I cannot forgive you, and I cannot forget what you have done."

Meio's tone quickly grew sterner. "It will be better for everyone if you forgot instead!" he said unhesitatingly. "The remembrance of past negative events clouds judgement, and prevents people from moving forward. You are still a child at heart, sister... you think justice is on the side of those who suffer."

"Should I not care for those less fortunate than me?" Linda asked the man who was just now revealed to be her brother.

"Humans need high ideals in order to realize their true potential." Meio went on. "And it is an unfortunate truth that some must suffer from these ideals to be realized."

Linda turned away again. "Is it because of these so-called ideals that you are helping Giganos Empire and their allies? I don't want to listen to these excuses!" she exclaimed. "If you really care, do one thing for me instead. Free all those who were captured along with me."

Meio sighed and looked at the floor. "That will be imposible. At the very best, I will be able to obtain a secial permisson for you, but as for the others..." he stated, his voice growing a little softer.

"What do you mean?" Linda asked in alarm. "What will be of the others?"

The Giganos captain walked towards the window once again. "There will be a selection. Destiny pushes humanity to claim their rightful place among the stars, and Giganos Empire's duty is to help humanity realize their true potential." he coldly explained. "But unfortunately, not all terrans are worthy of joining us in this mission. We will separate the chosen ones from the unworthy, and those who will be chosen will be allowed to live in Giganos territory as citizens of the Empire."

"And what about those you deem... unworthy?" Linda demanded to know.

Meio narrowed his gaze as he stared back at his younger sister. "They will be sent to work as slaves in the lunar mines."

The girl felt a spike of anger at this uncaring answer. "Is that the righteous ideal you speak of? Last time I checked, it was called racism!" she fired back. "Our father did the right thing when he tried to escape to Earth with the Dragonars!"

"Our father was a foolish man!" Meio answered, growing angry at the mention.

"I will not allow yoy to speak this way about him!" Linda exclaimed, getting teary-eyed at the memory. "Should I remind you that you are the one who murdered him?"

Meio shook his head. "Now, why are you accusing me of something I did not do?" he demanded. "You know better than I do that our father poisoned himself when Giganos discovered his betrayal."

"I know that!" the blonde girl shot back. "And it was you who brought him to do that, by exposing him to your beloved Guiltorre!"

"Hmph..." the Giganos ace frowned. "Our father was opposing Giganos' righteous mission. As far as I'm concerned, he got what he deserved."

Shocked into silence, Linda could do nothing but glance towards the floor and clench her hands into fists... but Meio was not finished, and he calmly walked towards her, putting a hand on his sister's shoulder. "All I ask of you, Linda, is to stay here for a while." he started again, now more calm than before. "I am sure that, in time, you will be able to understand what Giganos is doing, and perhaps, even come to realize that we are doing this for the good of humanity as a whole."

Linda glanced up, and was about to give him another tongue lashing... when she caught a glimpse of two familiar figures on the other side of the window, barely peeking out of a wall... a messy-haired Japanese boy, and another guy his same age with short black hair and colored skin, both wearing the standard Giganos uniform, but still readily recognizable! A feeling of hope washed over her as she recognized Kain and Tapp...

oooooooooo

As for Kain, who was able to see what Meio and Linda were doing, but not to hear their words, he was about to march towards the Giganos captain and deck him in the face, if not for Tapp holding him!

"What is he trying to do with her? Perverted bastard..." Kain exclaimed. "If he tries to seduce her again, secrecy be damned, I'm going up there and punching him in the teeth so help me!"

"Hey, hey! Now, lover-boy, give it a rest, okay? We still need to find the Idaho, remember?" Tapp answered. "Though I'm sure Linda could help us with that..."

As soon as Linda glanced out of the window, both boys peeked out of their hiding place and gave her a thumbs-up, before slipping away just in time...

oooooooooo

Linda expertly hid her relief at seeing Kain and Tapp alive... and at the fact that, when Meio turned to the window to see what was going on, the two Dragonar pilos were already gone. In order to distract Meio from any possible suspects he might have had, the girl cleared her voice and answered to his earlier question. "I suppose... I will think about it." she stated, causing Meio to smile in relief.

"You do not knowhow much that means to me, sister..." he started to say, before his communication device rang, and he answered with a slightly annoyed expresson. "Yes, Captain Meio Plato speaking. I am in the middle of interrogating the prisoner, so I hope you are calling me for a good reason."

Linda heard a garbled, unintelligible voice speak from the other side of the communication, and saw her brother nod coldly for a while, before he sighed in resignation. "Alright then... looks like those Neo Zeon fools cannot do a decent job capturing a bunch of children. I will come now, just wait for me."

With that, Meio hung up and turned to his sister with an apologetic glance. "I am afraid we will need to discuss about this later, sister." he stated. "Other matters require my presence. Oyr Neo Zeon allies are having trouble with a new Gundam model that has been delivered to the Argama crew recently. Please, feel free to stay here in my room, and do not hesitate to ask for whatever you might require."

"Thank you, brother. I do not think I will require anything, though..." she answered, before Meio gave her a nod and walked out of the room, leaving her alone. Linda sighed in relief and sat down on a nearby couch, trying to think of a way to get through to Kain and Tapp...

oooooooooo

Unbeknowst to any of the impromptu rescue party, two battleships were getting closer to the Giganos base... the Archangel and the Nadesico were approaching their target, and the pilots were getting ready to depart, each one of them sitting in their cockpit and mentally preparing themselves for the battle to come...

"Alright, girls, get ready!" Ryoko advised her wingmates Hikaru and Izumi. "These Giganos clowns are asking for trouble, and we plan on obliging, right?"

"I'm ready and willing!" Hikaru exclaimed cheerfully. "Those Giganos goons are done!"

Izumi smiled mischievously. "Waiter, I'd like my Giganos well done, please." she muttered, before giggling to herself and drawing an exasperated sigh out of her green-haired team leader.

"Ugh... and here I was hoping we could get through this without having to hear your stupid jokes, Izumi..." Ryoko grumbled. "Meh. Hey, Tenkawa! Yamada! You two, don't go around charging head-on, am I clear? If you step out of the Nadesico's range and run your Aestivalis dry, I'm not taking any responsability!"

"Fine, fine... and it's Daigouji! Gai Daigouji!" Gai exclaimed. "Hey, Tenkawa! Are you fired up? Can you feel your blood running hot?"

Sitting in his pink Aestivalis' cockpit, Akito nodded grimly. "In order to protect what we care about, we have no choice but to fight... therefore, I will fight!"

"As soon as we are out, we'll follow Ryoko and Banjou's lead. First off, we need to get as close as possible to the Giganos base without getting discovered." Fiona stated from her Excellence-S' cockpit. "After that, we need to provide enough of a distraction for our guys to get inside, rescue the hostages and take the Idaho back. That's the plan, right?"

"Exactly." was Banjou's answer. "We will move out as soon as the enemy catches a glimpse of us. We need to maximize surprise, as we are about to assail a very well-defended place. Be careful, everyone."

As for the pilots of the Archangel, Kira, Mwu, Ginga and Hokuto were in their cockpits already, and listening to the directives given to them by Natarle and Murrue...

"Okay, that's the plan. As soon as we get in the proximities of the Giganos base, the Moebius Zero and the Strike Gundam will move out and attempt to reach the hangars in which the Idaho was taken." Natarle advised. "For this endeavor, the Strike will use the Aile Striker Pack, allowing for greater speed and maneuvrability. Dendoh will run interference with Unicorn Drill, and intercept as many enemy Metal Armors as possible."

"We can expect some of the other G-Weapons, or even all of them, to be around as well." Murrue added. "Therefore, be on your guard and try not to overdo it. And aboutthat, Kira... should you run into the Aegis, you are allowed to use nonlethal attacks, of course."

"Thank you, Ms. Murrue." Kira answered, thankful to the brunette acting captain for understanding his position. Mwu nodded with a small smile, tightly grabbing the controls of his Moebius Zero.

"Alright, kid, we'll need to be careful on this one." the blond lieutenant told his young friend. "We have no idea what the Giganos have in store for us. We'll have support from the Nadesico, of course, but we still need not to get cocky. Good luck out there!"

"Likewise!" Kira answered, getting ready for what was probably going to be another confrontation with Athrun and his Aegis Gundam. Ginga and Hokuto, both sitting in their cockpits in Dendoh, nodded in assent and got ready to sortie as well. Their allies were out there, imprisoned in that Giganos base... and they needed their help as soon as possible!

The new confrontation with Giganos Empire was at hand...

oooooooooo

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	30. Escape From Giganos

**Super Robot Taisen S**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 30 - Escape from Giganos**

Linda had been sitting in her brother's personal quarters for a while now, getting increasingly uncomfortable with the silence the room had been plunged into after Meio had gone away. It was almost like her brother's presence, even after he had walked out, was still permeating the large, richly decorated room, making her feel like she was constantly being watched over. The fact that Kain and Tapp were around, and were looking for her, brought her some slight relief... but along with it, came the knowledge that she needed to find a way to contact them. And then, there was the problem of the crew of the Idaho being held prisoner in the space station... how were they going to free all those people, and escape from the combined forces of Giganos and ZAFT?

Her musings were cut short as a sound like a surprised gasp came from the other side of the room's entrance, along with a dull thud that sounded like someone punching another in the face! Then, there was the sound of an electronic lock being deactivated... and the door slid open, revealing none other than Kain Wakaba and Tapp Oceano, both sporting stolen Giganos uniforms on themselves and huge grins on their faces! The boy of colour was holding up an electronic card, evidently stolen from the Giganos soldier that was now lying unconscious at their feet!

"Yo, Linda!" Kain said, flashing a victory sign. "Been a while, hasn't it?"

Linda's instinctive reaction would have been to run towards Kain and give him a huge bearhug, but she restrained herself, knowing that they were still deep in enemy territory. "Kain, Tapp! Am I glad to see you guys! Unfortunately, there is no time to celebrate... do you have a plan for getting out of here? We are at risk every moment we stay."

"Don't worry your pretty little head of, Linda darling!" Kain answered, never losing his cocksure grin. "Light is taking care of everything. Soon enough, he'll make such a mess in Giganos' security and radar system, that those lunar bastards won't even know what hit them!"

"And by the way, if you're wondering how we got here..." Tapp continued. "You can thank our friends from the Junk Guild for that! They got us to this place, and they helped us infiltrate! But for now, we need to get back to the hangars. The HOME should be ready to depart soon."

"That's actually a good plan you had thought out..." Linda stated, getting more sober all of a sudden. "But there is still a problem. The rest of the passengers of the Idaho are kept in this base, and they will be transferred to the Giganos concentration camps on the Moon, unless someone intervenes."

"Don't worry, Linda. We're here to save them as well." Kain answered, getting more serious and focused. "Unfortunately, we have no idea where Kira and the Archangel have gone, but I'm sure we can do it by ourselves! For now, we'll just pretend to be Giganos soldiers escorting you to some other place. Let's hide this guy somewhere in here, and be on our way."

"Right." Linda answered, as she helped her friend drag the unconscious guard inside Meio's quarters. Hopefully, that would buy them enough time to get to the HOME and escape. And after that... well, they would think of something.

**oooooooooo**

Captain Meio Plato could barely contain an exasperated sigh as the face of one of Neo Zeon's officers, a young man with long blue-violet hair and a red rose pinned on his uniform, appeared on the screen he was sitting in front of. He had never been much of a fan of commander Mashmyre Cello, considering him too frivolous and scatter-brained for his position. However, he also knew that he was one of Hamaan Kahn's most trusted commsnders, and the young Neo Zeon leader, if nothing else, was one who knew how to choose her subordinates. Furthermore, Neo Zeon was, along with ZAFT, the best ally Giganos had found in the colonies, and a pact of mutual assistence was in vigor among the three factions.

"In other words, you are saying that you have been incapable of getting your hands on the Argama because of an unknown Gundam model that had just been delivered to the ship." Meio quickly summed up the situation, causing the prettyboy on the screen to look away in embarassment and clear his throat before going on.

"_I... wouldn't say we were incapable..._" Mashmyre stammered, trying to choose the words with the utmost care. "_We... just thought we could use a hand, especially since the new Gundam has some capabilities we have seldom seen in a Mobile Suit before, as well as some pretty heavy firepower. The pilot also appears to be a Newtype, and he is quite skilled in spite of his young age..._"

"No need to explain further. I understand you require our assistance." Meio answered in a no-nonsense tone. "Fine, we will look into it. However, we have our issues ourselves. We still need to recapture the Dragonar units that the Earth force stole from us, as well as help our ZAFT allies capture the last one of the G-Weapons. We cannot afford to send too many Metal Armors to you. However, rest assured that we will give assistance any way we can."

Mashmyre let out a relieved sigh. That was his chance to redeem himself in Hamaan's eyes... "_Alright. You have our gratitude, captain Meio Plato._" he stated. "_We will send you the coordinates for a rendez-vous as soon as possible. Good luck._"

Both officers exchanged a military salute, and the screen upon which Mashmyre's face could be seen shut down, leaving the Blue Hawk alone in front of the now blank monitor. With a shrug, Meio stood up and began walking back towards his own quarters, giving a few more instructions to the soldiers as he did so. "Have my Falguen's maintenance sped up, and keep ready for more orders. I suspect we will soon have to sortie again. What's the situation with the Le Creuset team?"

"Last we heard of them, they were all ready, and their G-Weapon's fine tuning had been completed." a soldier answered. "They will be able to give us their full support in case of an emergency."

"Good." Meio laconically answered, before walking away towards his own quarters...

**oooooooooo**

Onboard the HOME, still anchored in the Giganos base's hangars, the young Junk Guild dealers were still waiting for Kain and Tapp to come back and give them the signal for evacuation... and in the cockpit of the Dragonar D-3 unit, Light Newman was busy monitoring the situation through an hacked access to the base's computer system. Luckily, the D-3's advanced infiltration system made it trivial to have the whole complex under control, and all Light had to do was keep his eyes open and take care of anything that might potentially have been a problem.

Sitting next to him, making the most out of the rather restricted cockpit, stood a very curious Lowe, who simply couldn't just stay indifferent whenever anything mechanic presented itself to his eyes. At the moment, the young Junk Guild mechanic was busy listening in awe at Light's detailed information about the functions of the Dragonar unit.

"Therefore, once the D-3's computer system has logged in, it is just a matter of time before I acquire all the info I need on a local net." the blond Dragonar pilot finished explaining. "But that's not all, thanks to this Dragonar's advanced system, it is also no problem for me to feed the hacked net all the data I want, and if I do it well enough, I can throw the entire complex in disarray."

"Hmm, I see. So, while the Giganos are busy trying to deal with whatever it is you've done to their instruments, we have bought ourselves some time to get our butts out of here." Lowe answered, nodding in understanding. "Okay then... but what do you plan to do about the Goganos? Your friends are out there, and they won't be able to remain undetected for long. How do you plan on dealing with a whole space station?"

"Just watch this!" Light answered with a cunning smile. He quickly pressed a few buttons on his keyboard, and brought up a reproduction of the Giganos station's radar screens, which were at the moment completely clean. "Okay now... let's give a scare to these gentlemen! I've hacked into their radar system, and now... let's just say I can make them see whatever I want them to see! Hehehee... what I wouldn't give to see their faces the moment they realize they're being surrounded by ships that don't even exist!"

Lowe snickered himself, amused at the idea... while outside the D-3, a somewhat annoyed Kisato shook her head while keeping her eyes on the Dragonar's disc-shaped head.

"Boy, do I wonder what those two troublemakers are doing in there..." she murmured to herself, thinking that it couldn't have been anything good for Giganos...

**oooooooooo**

"Okay, according to Light, this way is the hangar. We need to get everyone back on board the Idaho and then get away from this place..." Tapp whispered, as he, Kain and Linda were trying to sneak through the narrow corridors and reach the place where the other hostages were being kept. For now, luck had been on their side, and they hadn't been spotted by any patrol, but it all could change in a moment. They had to be careful, and keep their eyes peeled for anything.

The three teenagers reached an intersection of corridors and looked around, finally turning to their right and proceeding almost all the way towards theend of the road. Kain managed to crack a wily grin, thinking that things were going to be alright, and all it took was to get to their goal...

But as soon as he turned a corner, he bumped into something... or rather, someone... who sent him stumbling backwards and almost into the arms of Linda and Tapp, who let out a brief shout of surprise and fear as they saw just who exactly they had met - the short, neatly cropped beige hair and the piercing gaze were hard to mistake, as the three teenagers found themselves under the scrutiny of Meio Plato, the most well-known ace of the Giganos army!

"Wha..." Kain murmured, widening his eyes when he realized who he was speaking to. "You! Dammit, just my luck, running into you here, of all places..."

Despite his more composed demeanor, Meio was just as surprised as the young Heliopolis resident was. "You... you are the pilot of the Dragonar D-1, are you not? I could never forget anyone who almost got the better of me in battle. And I'm impressed you and those little friends of yours could survive being stranded in space."

"Damn you... you'll see just how impressed you'll be when I kick your ass!" Kain exclaimed, charging head-on at the Giganos ace, who calmly waited for the younger pilot to come closer and quickly drove his right fist into Kain's stomach, delivering a solid hit! Kain doubled over in pain and breath escaped his lungs before he collapsed to his knees in front of his friends... and before either Linda or Tapp could attempt anything, Meio drew a gun from a holster on his side and aimed it at the boy of color.

"I would not try anything if I were you." Meio advised. "I already have half an idea about how you managed to infiltrate this place, and I'll have all the time I need to extract the rest of the information from you two. As for what concerns you, Linda..."

Meio stopped himself mid-sentence when his eyes caught something slipping out of the downed Kain's uniform... a shiny golden bracelet with a blue gemstone encased in its center, which Meio immediately recognized: it was the bracelet belonging to his and Linda's mother, which he knew Linda had taken with her when she had tried to flee to Earth. His stoic expression wavered a little... how was it that this Terran boy had that? There cold only be two possibilities about it: either he had extorted that pendant with force, or...

The other possibility filled him with more disgust than he had ever felt in his life, and Linda tensed up a little as she felt him frown noticeably at the young man wheezing in pain on the ground.

"What is the meaning of this, you miserable Terran?" the Giganos ace angrily asked, hoisting the defenceless Kain up and showing him Linda's bracelet with the other. A few Giganos soldiers had come, alarmed by the sudden noise, and were now pointingtheir guns at Tapp so that he couldn't intervene and help his friend. "How is it that you have Linda's bracelet, which she treasured? Answer me, thief! Have you forcefully taken it from her? Speak, or I will have you speak!"

"Bite my shiny metal ass, Giganos scum." Kain fired back, earning himself a vicious right hook in the face for his trouble. The young man fell on the ground under Linda and Tapp's horrified eyes, some blood oozing out of his busted lower lip, and Meio advanced on him once again, threatening him.

"You seem to think you are smart, but you have run out of options right now." the Blue Hawk said, his anger made all the more scary by the fact that he remained calm and collected in spite of it. "Linda would have never separated herself from this bracelet of her own will, which to me is proof enough that you stole it from her. Unless of course you have a more convincing explanation." He ended his sentence by grabbing Kain and forcing him in an upright position, before slamming his back against the wall...

"Stop it, brother!" Linda exclaimed at the top of her lungs, causing Meio to halt and give her sister a stern gaze. Tapp and Kain stood in silence, stunned by that revelation... and Linda looked down, took a small breath and went on. "Kain is not a thief. He never stole anything from me. I gave him that bracelet of my own free will. It was a gift to him. A good luck charm, if you want to know."

"W... What?" Kain murmured, still a little stunned. "That Giganos bastard... is actually Linda's brother?"

"Hmph. Nice to know that you are sympathizing with Terrans. Next thing you know, you will actually tell me that you have fallen in love with him." Meio answered sternly, holding the bracelet in his hands.

The arrogant, self-important tone with which Meio had spoken incensed Linda to the point where she gathered enough will to shout back at her brother. "What if I have, brother? Would there be anything wrong with that?" she shouted, not caring if all those people around, along with Kain himself, heard her. Kain was shocked for a moment, but then managed to smile victoriously to himself.

"_Hehehee... suck on that, pretty boy!_" he thought to himself.

Meio was, to say the least, not amused at the revelation. "Of course there is something wrong with that. Are you not ashamed at falling in love with a Terran, an inferior being?" he asked forcefully, inching towards his sister, who remained undaunted and glared at him venomously.

"I'm not ashamed at all. Rather, I'm ashamed at having a brother such as you." she spat. Meio reared his right arm back and slapped her in the face, hard enough to send her to the floor, and causing even several of his own men to wince in disapproval.

"You bastard!" Kain yelled. "How dare you treat your own sister like that!"

"You be silent. Terrans like you should wait for permission before addressing an agent of the new order." Meio answered, not even turning around to look at Kain. "As for you, Linda... if that is what you actually think, then I guess some re-education is in order. You will learn to show respect to those who know better than you do, and to accept the new order as the inevitable future of the Earth Sphere. Take her back to my quarters, and take these two Terrans to where the rest of the prisoners are. Also, send a squad to investigate the Junk Guild battleship that is moored in the hangars. I am sure that is where these intruders come from."

"Damn..." Tapp murmured to himself, being forced to put his hands up when a couple of Giganos soldiers pointed their weapons at him. That Blue Hawk guy was nobody's fool, and had immediately guessed where their infiltration had started from.

Two more soldiers roughly seized Kain by the arms and forced him to stand upright, while Meio stood at Linda's sides and helped her up while she kept glaring at her older brother. "That's the new order you speak of, brother!" she exclaimed. "Silencing whoever disagrees with you and forcing them to say whatever pleases you the most! Are you proud of what you have become, Meio?"

The Giganos ace narrowed his eyes. "It is all for the future of mankind."

**oooooooooo**

"Kain, Tapp? Can you hear me? Kain! Tapp!" Light tried to contact his friends from the cockpit of the D-3, as soon as disquieting sounds of static were heard from his communicators. "Damn... this is bad. I can't speak with Kain and Tapp anymore... I'm afraid they might have gotten caught. We need to switch to plan B, and sooner than I thought."

"Glad to see you've thought of that." Lowe stated with a bitter chuckle. "You know how it is, plan A always fails."

Light smiled slightly at Lowe's joke and began typing a few instructions of his D-3's console. "Okay, let's clog their radars up a little. I'll make them think they're surrounded by the Earth Union army, and let's see how they fare against that!" he stated. "Okay... give me 253 battleships on this base's radars. Right now!"

"_Acknowledge._" the flat female voice of the D-3' artificial intelligence readily answered, and the on-board instruments began flashing at high speed, downloading junk data in the Giganos base's computer system. It was only a matter of minutes before all alarms would go off because of a nonexistant threat.

"Good. That bought us some time." Lowe answered. "But we're still not out of the woods yet. How do you think we'll manage to escape when those guys come knocking at our door?"

"One thing at a time. I'm trying to think my way out of this." Light answered, keeping cool under pressure in a manner most admirable. "If only we could find a way to get Kain and Tapp back here and lift off, we would be set."

"Yeah, but I'm afraid it's not going to be that easy..." Lowe admitted. His personal communicator went off, and the young mechanic quickly reached to his belt and answered. "Hello? Kisato, is that you? What's going on there?"

"_I'm not sure about it myself, Lowe. But the HOME's radars are detecting a strange energy signature approaching the space station!_" the girl answered. "_In fact, there ae two of them - one belongs to an Archangel-class battleship of the Earth Union army, but we could not find the other one in our databases. It must be a new Earth Union model anyway. They're approaching slowly, apparently taking care not to enter the Giganos' radar range._"

"Hmm, an Archangel-class battleship and an unknown model? This could actually work to our advantage..." Lowe answered, caught off guard yet pleased by the news. "Okay, Kisato... please ask the Professor to have everyone get ready for departure! We're going to have a few Giganos goons hot on our trail soon! We'll try to contact those battleships and convince them that the time to attack is now!"

"_What?_" Kisato answered. "_Lowe, are you sure you know what you're doing?_"

Light turned to Lowe and nodded in assent, and the Junk Guild tech smirked slightly before confirming. "Trust us, Kisato... the Giganos will be in such a mess in a few minutes that they won't even see the Archangel and the other battleship coming until it's too late! But we have to act upon it now, or we won't get a second chance!"

"_Okay, Lowe! Leave it to me!_" Kisato answered, cutting the communication. Light activated his own on-board radar and scanned the proximities of the space station, seeing that, in fact, there were two battleships at the extreme border of the Dragonar's sensory limit.

"They couldn't have come at a better moment..." Light said in relief, before staring a communication channel and trying to contact the Archangel. "Archangel. Archangel, this is Dragonar D-3, Light Newman speaking. Archangel, do you copy?"

A few tense moments of silence and static followed... then, the welcome voice of Miriallia Haww spoke through the D-3's system. "_Private Newman? Private Newman, can you hear us?_" she asked. "_Archangel here, we hear you loud and clear! We are keeping at a distance from the Giganos space station, and with us is the Earth Union battleship Nadesico, built by Nergal Heavy Industries. What's your situation? What about Crewmen Kain Wakaba and Tapp Oceano? And the Idaho?_"

"We are well, at least for now. The Idaho is being kept in an hangar inside this space station, and its crewmembers have been rounded up and will be shipped off to the lunar mines as soon as a passenger shuttle comes to take them." Light answered, trying to convey the gravity of the situation. "As for Kain and Tapp... they were on their way to rescue the prisoners, but I'm afraid they got caught. I have inserted a virus of sorts in the Giganos' radar system... if you can take advantage of this moment, the Giganos won't be able to put up a solid resistance!"

"_Okay... we understand! We'll mount an offensive as soon as we can!_" Miriallia answered. "_If possible, try to locate Crewmen Wakaba and Oceano, and update them on what happened! Kira and the rest of our pilots will soon arrive, so hang on!_"

The communication was interrupted, and Lowe nodded to himself before moving to dismount the Dragonar D-3. "Well, I better get my butt in gear as well. I might not be a trained pilot, but I'm sure my Red Frame will more than hold its own when we get out of this base and in open space. Okay, Light, I'm going to suit up and get ready!"

"Alright, Lowe! Just make sure you don't overdo it!" Light reccomended. He and Lowe gestured in understanding to each other as the Junk Guild tech lowered himself to the floor of the HOME's hangar, and the young Heliopolis resident grabbed his Metal Armor's cloche and got ready to take off as soon as he could...

**oooooooooo**

On board the Archangel and the Nadesico, the news had quickly spread and were being relayed to the pilots, who were already out and ready to attack as soon as they got their chance. In particular, Kira's Strike Gundam, equipped with the agile and versatile Aile Striker Pack, was keeping his eyes peeled on the enemy base, his normal reluctance towards fighting substituted by cold, concentrated calmness. He knew his friends were out there, and he knew they werestill alive - the mere idea gave him all the resolve he needed to fight this battle, and the thought that he could meet Athrun again and try to talk him out of this fight was nothing but a plus. Sure, that meant he would have to fight his way through the Giganos and ZAFT defenders... but with such allies on his side, he knew he had at least a better chance to protect the Archangel and those he cared about.

The cestnut-haired young man looked to his right, where the mighty Dendoh had already placed itself in front of the Archangel, in order to protect it from any attack. He had to say, he was impressed at how Ginga and Hokuto could show that much courage. Not many kids their age would have shown such bravery in the face of almost certain death, but Ginga at least seemed to be quite calm about it. Hokuto might have been a little more reluctant at first, but now, both ids seemed to have eased into their position as chosen pilots with relative ease...

Daitarn 3, with its sword in one hand and its fan-like shield in the other, was floating at the head of the small army, closely followed by the Nadesico's Aestivalis units and Fiona's Excellence-S. Even though the latter, ill-suited to battles in zero G, seemed to be a little unsteady, its movements showed no hesitation on Fiona's part. Finally, close to the Strike Gundam's left, Mwu's Moebius Zero unit was ready to start hostilities. Any minute now...

**oooooooooo**

To say that, just one minute later, all Hell had broken loose in the Giganos space station would be an understatement. In the main control room, the radar screen came alive with dozens upon dozens of red dots, each one of them signifying an enemy battleship approaching with dire intentions! As soon as such an appalling sight was on their monitors, the Giganos operators stood up from their chairs and widened their eyes in horror, before the whole room dissolved into an orgy of panic and confusion!

"What... what... WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" an operator shouted at the top of his lungs. "We've got at least two hundered enemy battleships on the radar! They're quickly closing in! We're completely outmatched!"

"How is that possible? The screens were completely clear ten seconds ago!" another Giganos tech exclaimed in disbelief. "How could they have gotten this close without us noticing?"

"I don't care how they did! We have to alert everyone!" a third one shouted, as the radar screens filled with more and more threatening red dots. He quickly reached over to a large red button and smashed the security glass before pressing it, filling the room with red lights.

"WARNING! RED ALERT! RED ALERT!" a voice came from the speakers throughout the whole station, startling both hostages and Giganos soldiers, as well as those ZAFT soldiers who were stationed there - among which, the Le Crueset team. "Massive enemy attack underway! We have been surrounded by an enemy fleet counting more than two hundred units, who are quickly closing on our position! All personnel report to combat stations! Repeat, all personnel report to combat stations! This is not a drill! Launch all available units!"

"What the..." a soldier who was enjoying a few hours of leave in his quarters exclaimed, dropping the hentai magazine he was reading! "What the fuck? How did they manage to get this close?"

"Damn, here goes our special permission..." one of his comrades said. "Hurry! We must suit up and get to our Metal Armors!"

**oooooooooo**

The Le Crueset team was just as surprised about the sudden alarm as any Giganos soldier, and in a moment, all five of them were up and ready to rush to the hangars... though several of them had their reservations about the whole business. Some of them, in fact, thought there was something amiss in all of this...

"The Hell is that?" Yzak exclaimed. "What's the meaning of this? The Naturals have sent more than two hundreds battleships here? Just to deal with this space station? I know the Naturals were never ones for restraint, but this is fucking ridiculous!"

Nicol frowned a little. "Something doesn't add up, guys." the scrawny yet brave pilot of the Blitz Gundam stated. "It doesn't make sense that the Earth Union would send all those people at us, and deprive themselves of valuable ships to defend more important positions. Couldn't it be that someone is hacking into this base's security system and making the radars see something that's not there?"

Athrun thought about that for a moment, then nodded. "That wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities." he concluded. "I do agree that something is off with this attack. As Nicol said, sending more than two hundred battleships against a single base would be a huge waste. And if we really had that many Earth Union vessel thrown at us, it seems very unlikely that we'd only manage to see them now."

"Hold on a sec, here!" Dearka exclaimed. "You mean to tell me that somebody actually went through the trouble of hacking Giganos' computer systems in order to throw us out of the loop and send us into a panic? All so that we would be taken by panic and mess things up?"

"Why not?" Nicol stated. "It would take some very complex equipment to infiltrate this space station's net, but when you have it and you know how to use it, it becomes possible."

"If that is the case, we need to try and stop the troops from dissolving into a mass panic." Athrun said... only for Shiho to sigh in defeat and point at one of the screens near them, which was showing what was going on in four different sections of the space station.

"Don't bother, Athrun. They already did." she said, shaking her head in disbelief. As the four male redcoat looked at the screens, all they could see were Giganos soldiers and personnel running around in a hurry, tripping each other up in their mad attempts at responding to the nonexisting threat, and generally turning the once-orderly place into a barely coherent mess. Athrun winced in awkwardness, while Yzak placed a hand on his face and shook his head, murmuring something about how, Giganos or not, a Natural would always be a Natural.

"Oh, and these are the chosen people to lead humanity into the future, huh?" Dearka snarked. "Is it just me, or the elections were rigged?"

"We'll deal with this later." Shiho stated. "For now, we need to get to the hangars. I wouldn't be surprised if the enemy attacked now, taking advantage of the confusion."

"Shiho is right, we need to hurry." Athrun answered. "We'll get to our Mobile Suit and get ready to sortie. Wait for my signal before engaging, okay?"

"Alright." the other pilots said, even if Yzak said so more reluctantly. Athrun nodded at his comrades and began leading the way to their Gundams and to Shiho's Cgue Deep Arms, secretly hoping that he would get another chance to go out and try to talk Kira into joining them...

**oooooooooo**

The alarm was heard in the corridor where Kain and Tapp were being dragged away by the Giganos soldiers as well, surprising the guards and leaving them to falter for one second as they wondered what was going on... and one second was all it took for Kain and Tapp to take initiative! With a swift movement, Kain freed himself from his captors' hold and kicked one of them between the legs, sending the guy to kneel on the floor screaming like a little girl! Tapp, for his part, quickly charged at the closest one and punched him in the face, breaking one of his teeth and slamming him on the wall, before turning to the other one and knocking him out will a well-placed headbutt! The final Giganos soldier was left to stare in wide-eyed wonder at the two teenagers taking out his comrades so handily, and before he had time to regain his wits, Kain snatched a rifle from one of their downed foes and hit the last remaining guard in the stomach with the butt of the weapon. The lone grunt doubled over in pain, allowing Kain to easily crack him on the back of his head with the rifle and knocking him out once and for all.

"This is our clue! Light must have played some nasty little trick on these guys!" Tapp exclaimed. "Let's pick up Linda, find the Idaho and the rest of the crew, and get the Hell out of here!"

"You'll get no argument from me!" Kain answered. The Dragonar pilot duo quickly ran back to the place where they had been intercepted by Meio, holding a rifle each...

**oooooooooo**

The sudden alarm caught Meio off guard as well... and Linda, in a swift moment, was able to reach down to the holster on her older bother's waist, snatching his pistol away! Before Meio could completely process what was going on, Linda had taken several steps away from him, and was aiming her gun at him, pointing straight at his head!

"What the... Linda! What do you think you are doing?" he exclaimed. "Will you point a weapon at your own brother?"

"You are not the kind brother I once knew!" Linda exclaimed. "Step backwards! Do not try anything funny!"

Keeing his cool while trying to reason with his sister, Meio backed way a couple steps. Had Linda committed the common amateur mistake of standing close to him, he would have had ample time to disarm her, but right now, the distance she had taken was enough for even a beginner to shoot him dead before he could do anything. "Think about it, Linda. You do not have to do this." he stated nicely. "You are not the kind of person who would hold a gun anyway. Give it back, and join me in my duty to spread Giganos' prosperity with the rest of humanity."

"That is never going to happen, brother." she answered, putting more distance between herself and Meio. "I already told you what I think of your so-called new order, and I will have no part in it. I'm sorry, brother. You are on your own here."

"Linda..." Meio murmured, feeling genuinely upset and hurt about Linda's rejection of him. How could she not understand what he was doing? Couldn't she see that Giganos' way was the only way to save mankind from corruption and stagnation?

"Linda! Linda, are you okay?" Kain's voice came from behind a corner, and both he and Tapp, holding the stolen Giganos rifles in their hands. The blonde girl, still holding her gun pointed at Meio, turned one eye at her friends and smiled in satisfaction.

"Kain! Tapp! Glad to see you guys!" she exclaimed.

"Us too! But we have no time to stay here and celebrate!" Tapp answered. "The whole place seems to be in turmoil. We need to free the other prisoners and get on the Idaho before they can realize they've been had!"

"So, it was a trick of yours, Terrans!" Meio exclaimed spitefully, being backed up against the door of a side room. "I should have known. You will not get away with this!"

"Well, tough luck, Giganos blowhard! We are the ones with the guns right now!" Kain said, threatening the Giganos captain by pointing his weapon at him. "Now, get in that room and stay put while we escape!"

"Tch... this won't be the end of it, Terrans! And you, Linda... you will soon see that those primitives you defend don't merit your concern!" Meio said, quickly opening the door and backing away until he was inside the darkened room. He then locked himself inside, and Kain fired a shot at the lock, jamming it and trapping the Giganos ace inside. Then, the three teenagers nodded to each other and followed Linda's lead to the prison block, leaving Meio trapped in the room to punch the wall in frustration!"

**oooooooooo**

Murrue Ramius frowned as she kept a close eye on the Archangel's instruments, trying to catch the right moment to give the order to attack. It was clear that the Giganos space station was now deep in the throes of chaos and anarchy... and to the newly-minted captain of the Archangel, there couldn't have been a better moment to attack!

"All units, close in on the Giganos base and commence attack!" she ordered. In a perfect formation, the Aile Strike Gundam, Mwu's Moebius Zero, Daitarn 3, the Aestivalis, the Excellence-S and Dendoh spread out and quickly approached the space station, shooting down the first few Metal Armors and Mobile Suits that were trying to intercept the menace! The time machine turned combat robot attacked first, using its gigantic claw-like arm to batter a Drau out of the way, before unsheathing its beam saber and beginning to slice its way through the Giganos forces, avoiding the attacks from their gatling guns.

"Everyone! Focus on those grey Mobile Suits!" Mwu advised, his Moebius Zero's gunbarrels laying out suppressive fire on the approaching ZAFT grunts. A Ginn was hit and shut down immediately, effectively dead in the water in the midst of space, and the experienced Earth Union lieutenant darted in and out of the fight, strafing the enemy with his machine's front gun. Everyone was quick to follow his advice, and Daitarn-3 led the charge, slicing a Ginn apart with its Daitarn Zanba...

"Kain and the others are there!" Kira exclaimed. "And so are Athrun and the rest of his squadron... be careful, I'm sure they will come to greet us very soon!"

**oooooooooo**

As the battle began to rage on the outside, several hostages could hear the rumbling explosions and the shockwaves that lightly rocked the large room in which they were being kept, under the relentless scrutiny of two armed soldiers who seemed intent on making sure everyone was suitably cowed. Rose shivered in fear a little and held close to Lt. Diana Lance, who was keeping her cool even in such a dangerous situation, and the corpulent Sgt. Rooney kept impressively calm, just glaring at the Giganos soldiers from time to time.

"What... what's going on now? Is there a battle out there?" Rose asked, her eyes going to the ceiling which was beginning to creak under the shockwaves coming from outside.

Diana held the teenage girl's hand in order to comfort her, but her effort seemed to go to waste when one of the Giganos soldiers pointed his rifle at the two women, threatening them. "You two! I do not recall giving you permission to move!" he shouted. "Get back to your place, and do not do that again! Yes, there's a battle out there, so what? As soon as it's over, you're going to get carted off to the lunar mines, where you'll make yourselves useful to our glorious empire's war effort!"

"Oh, is that so, you jackass? I beg to speak differently, these people aren't going anywhere!" a cocky young voice cut in, and the Giganos soldier heard the click of a rifle being readied before turning in that direction in disbelief... and actually coming face to face with the loaded weapon, held by a very pissed off Kain Wakaba! Tapp was close by, holding the other Giganos soldiers at gunpoint, while Linda was standing between the two boys, Meio's gun still held tight in her hands. "Alright, gentlemen... your captivity is over! The cavalry has arrived!"

Rose smiled brightly at seeing Tapp and her friends back, safe and sound! "Tapp! Kain, Linda! I'm so glad to see you guys again!" she exclaimed, while the three teenagers were busy tying up the Giganos guards. "How... how did you manage to get here and elude the guards?"

"It's kind of a long story, Rose..." Tapp said, running over to the girl and hugging her while she did the same. "I'll tell you all when we're safe... but I'll just say that Light is doing a lot of the work, and that we have the Junk Guild to thank for getting this far! We need to get out of this place, though! Does anyone know where the Idaho is?"

"Heh, you kids never cease to put your asses in some sling..." Sgt. Ben joked, heartily slapping Kain on one of his shoulders and almost causing him to fall over! "Anyway... yeah, the Idaho is in a hangar, not too far away from here! But what are you going to do? Do you expect those Imperial bastards to open the doors just because you want them to?"

"Hehehee... actually, you don't even need to ask!" Kain answered, rubbing his nose and showing a cocky smile. "All we have to do is give Light our position, and he'll do all the rest himself! After which... we'll have free rein to mess up Giganos' shit!"

"Do be careful out there, guys." Diana admonished. "I know the Dragonars are powerful, but the stolen G-Weapons, along with the Le Creuset team, are here, and they won't let you get away without a fight. You're going to face a tough battle as soon as the Idaho gets out!"

"We know... but with Light messing up their systems, they'll have an harder time catching up to us." Linda explained. "And it seems that the Dragonars won't be the only ones to fight! The Archangel and the Nadesico, the latest battleship built by Nergal Heavy Industries, are also here and helping us. They should be starting their attack as we speak."

"That's good to know." Diane answered. "Then, leave the rest to us. We'll get onboard the Idaho and get out of here, while you go back to the Dragonars. I wish good luck to all of you!"

"Please, Tapp, be careful!" Rose reccomended the large boy of color, who simply smiled and gently ruffled her hair, earning himself a comical pout from her. "Hey! And just because I'm grateful doesn't mean you get to treat me like a kid, you big joker!"

"Hehehee... sorry, I just couldn't help it!" Tapp chuckled. "Don't worry, Rose, we'll be back and about soon!"

"Let's hurry, everybody! I am just dying to mess them up good!" Kain stated, cracking his knuckles.

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**Author's Note: Originally, I wanted this chapter to be a little longer, but I realized it would take too much time with my current schedule, so I'm leaving it here for now. I'll try to continue this story soon though! See you later!**


	31. Kira's Comeback

**Super Robot Taisen S**

**oooooooooo**

**Chapter 31 - Kira's Comeback**

"There we go!" Fiona exclaimed as she and her allies from both the Nadesico and the Archangel engaged the opponents, starting to cut their way through a large army of Giganos Metal Armors and ZAFT Mobile Suits, with a few Neo Zeon Mobile Suits mixed in for good measure. Her Excellence S fired a few Prisma Beam shots from her larger claw-arm, managing to scatter the enemy formation and cause it to fall in disarray for a short moment, before she closed in and delivered a mighty blow to a Drau unit, sending the stocky-looking Metal Armor to spiral away, out of control. Machine gun fire from a couple of Gebaye caused her to back away, firing a few more shots to deter her opponents from getting closer, before La Flaga's Moebius Zero intervened with his linear guns, which easily disarmed one of the grunt Metal Armors and blew off the other one's left arm, leaving them to retreat helplessly back to the Giganos base. "Thanks for the help, Lt. La Flaga!"

"_It's cool, kid! Just don't be too reckless! Your machine sure is powerful, but I can tell you haven't had much combat experience._" the blond ace pilot answered, before having to swerve laterally in an attempt to evade the attacks from a few GINNs. Daitarn-3 dashed in, slashing a GINN to bits with its Daitarn Zanba, and then grabbed one of its iron fans in its free hand and extended it in order to shield itself from the attacks of several enemies approaching from the side. Dendoh stood back to back with the solar-powered robot, using a series of moves that wouldn't have been out of place in a martial arts movie to fend off the numerous attackers. However, the joint Giganos and ZAFT army quickly wisened up and started to surround the two largest robots in their enemies' formation... and soon enough, Daitarn-3 flinched as a beam of solid azure energy coming from a GINN's Ion Cannon blasted it in the chest, leaving a rather evident scorch mark.

"Ugh... these guysa re tougher than I thought." Banjou commented. "We need to back away from here and try to lure them to attack instead of risking to expose ourselves."

"Or maybe we just need a better defense..." Hokuto answered, barely dodging a hail of gunfire from a couple of Metal Armors, a Gebaye and a Dyne. When Ginga turned a questioning glance to him, Hokuto simply picked up his device and activated it, plugging it into his console's port and downloading the Data Weapon they had conquered only a few hours before. "It's time to test Unicorn Drill's defensive abilities! Unicorn Drill, Download!"

"I hope you know what you're doing, Hokuto..." Ginga murmured to himself, still a little disappointed that he still didn't have his own Data Weapon to summon. Immediately, a strange weapon looking like the head of Unicorn Drill appeared on Gear Fighter Dendoh's right forearm, and the mighty martial artist robot quickly put up an energy barrier around its body, absorbing all enemy fire. The ZAFT, Giganos and Neo Zeon forces split up in order to avoid retaliation, still firing a few shots towards Dendoh and Daitarn-3 in order to cover their retreat.

The Aestivalis units and the Strike Gundam, for their part, were handling themselves quite well against the varied enemies swarming around the battleships, who were offering cover fire from a distance. The trio of female Aestivalis pilots were making good on their reputation, flying around as if dancing around the Nadesico, and skillfully taking out or disabling any opponent that got too close. Ryoko's red Aestivalis dodged three sharp blades thrown by a Dreissen, and the green-haired Lieutenant smirked slightly before unloading her Rapid Rifle upon the offending Mobile Suit. Then, Hikaru's orange unit struck at a GINN with her combat knife, causing the ZAFT unit to die out and remain dead in the water.

"Wow, we're on a roll now!" Hikaru cheered, causing Ryoko to actually laugh out loud... the moment of levity was only ruined by Izumi's comm screen popping up between her two teammates, a disquieting smile on her pale face framed by dark green hair.

"Hehehee... Keep playing around, and you're destined for a casket." she eerily stated.

"What brought that up all of a sudden, Izumi?" Ryoko angrily ranted back at her.

"You're soooo fixated on being an hard-boiled show off..." Hikaru sighed, as the three Aestivalis sped through their enemies, but still took care not to stray away from the Nadesico.

Sadly for them, Izumi was not quite finished with her ramblings. "Beyond this thin metal hull, there lies an hellish vacuum." she said in a low, soft voice. "as I lay waste to heartless machines, my heart, amidst all of this excitement... remains unstirred. Sorry, that's just who I am!"

"Jeez, what a weirdo..." Ryoko muttered, rolling her eyes as her Aestivalis' fist tore through a Dyne's chest. As the Metal Armor drifted away and exploded, Akito and Gai were busy advancing as far as they could towards the Giganos base, in order to give support to Fiona, Banjou, Hokuto and Ginga, while Kira engaged a Neo Zeon Zussa in a swordfight, easily dispatching it.

"GOOOO! GEKIGAN FLAAAAAARE!" Gai yelled at the top of his lungs. His Aestivalis' right fist, coated in a layer of Distortion Field, struck down an enemy GINN, while Akito's keep laying suppressive fire upon the enemy.

"Everyone is having a little too much fun for my tastes! Damn, what's up with them?" Akito muttered to himself, feeling nauseous as his Rapid Rifle shot ended up taking out a Drau. The first line of defence was slowly but surely giving way to the two ships' superior firepower, and Fiona was finding herself countering and retaliating more easily than she could remember.

"Heh, looks like I'm getting better at this. And with my arm pretty much healed, I'm sure I can do even better now!" she said to herself, before her proximity alarm went off and she found herself about to be sandwiched between a CGUE and a Dyne. With a quick reaction, Fiona parried the CGUE's swing with her Excellence-S' left arm, and then struck back with a powerful kick. "**Crusher Kick!**" she exclaimed, smashing though the opponent's armor and fatally damaging it, before turning around and tossing the exploding Mobile Suit in the Dyne's way! The Metal Armor was struck, and the resulting explosion took it out along with the CGUE, causing Fiona to nod in satisfaction and turn her attention to the Giganos base right in front of her. It was getting closer and closer, but she was sure that the Giganos / ZAFT alliance had much more to throw at them than what they had seen up until now...

Kira, for his part, was just waiting for a familiar quarter of Gundams to show up, knowing that Athrun was going to be among them. It was his hope that he could convince him to stop this pointless battle between them...

"You're around here, Athrun, are you not?" Kira murmured to himself. "I hope we can talk it out this time, and I can explain myself to you..."

Gritting his teeth, he shielded himself from an attack from a Gebaye and kicked the yellow Metal Armor in the chest, knocking it away for a moment before skewering it with his beam saber. Swallowing a bitter flavour in his mouth, Kira continued on his way, towards the place where Fiona, Mwu, Banjou and Dendoh's chosen pilots were engaging the enemy...

ooooooooo

"_All units, order to launch immediately! Repeat, all units, order to launch immediately!_" the voice of the base officers reverberated through the corridors of the base, as the Giganos soldiers all hurried to their Metal Armors, trying to stop the attackers. As Kain and Tapp ran through the base, trying to get back to the hangars and rejoin the HOME as soon as possible, they were forced to zigzag among the numerous passages, avoiding the Giganos troops as best as they could. Luckily, it didn't take long for them to reach the hangar where the Junk Guild cargo ship was, and as soon as they got there, they found Kisato waving at them from just outside the ship's hull, hurrying them to get to their units.

"You guys, come here, quick!" the Junk Guild girl exclaimed. "The Giganos are emptying the entire base to face against the attackers! We need to take advantage of the chaos to make our escape! Light is already onboard the D-3!"

"Don't worry, Kisato! We were planning on doing just that!" Kain grinned, giving Kisato a thumbs-up as he and Tapp reached the HOME. He, Tapp and Kisato quickly entered the cargo ship, with the girl closing the hatch right behind them to stop any incoming troops. The two boys reached the hangars just as the ship began moving out of the hangars, and found that the Dragonar D-3 and - much to their surprise - the Astray Red Frame were already prepped up and ready to launch.

"Why, here come our bold heroes!" Light's joking voice greeted Kain and Tapp as soon as they walked into the hangars. "I've seen you've caused quite a ruckus down there, huh? I don't think these guys are going to forget that easily!"

"Yeah, yeah... you can joke all you want, pal, but right now we need to get our butts out of here and join the Idaho outside!" Tapp exclaimed. "And by the way, isn't that Lowe at the commands of that red Gundam? Astray Red Frame, if I recall correctly..."

"The one and only!" Lowe's jovial voice replied from the Astray Red Frame. Kain and Tapp could almost feel the smile on the young tech's face. "Don't worry, guys, you can count on me to help you out there! I've already had some experience ploting this baby!"

Light nodded and smiled himself. "Thank you for helping us, guys. This wasn't your fight, and yet you gave us your support without us even asking." the blond Dragonar pilot answered. "We are in your debt, Lowe!"

"We'll talk about that later!" Lowe answered with a short laugh. As the HOME began moving, the doors of the hangars began closing, in order to trap the Junk Guild cargo inside the Giganos base.. but the sip didn't even slow down, and carried on its way. "For now, we need to get out into space and join the party!"

"We need to hurry it up, before we get closed in." Kain said while he and Tapp climbed onboard their Dragonars. "The HOME doesn't seem to have any weapons it could use to blast it way through..."

**oooooooooo**

On the HOME's main bridge, the Professor chuckled in amusement to herself. "Looks like these kids still have no idea what this baby can do." the young woman said, pushing back her glasses on the bridge of her nose. "Kisato, would you do the honors?"

"Already on it, chief!" the girl answered, pressing a few buttons on her console. Immediately, with a creaking noise of iron joints scraping together, a few panels on the ship's exterior hull opened up, and several mechanical arms came out of them, reaching for the gates and starting to pull the hatches of the Giganos hangar apart, forcing them open until they stopped with a scary sounding of ripped metal! There were several electrical sparkles when the hangar's doors jammed, and the Junk Guild ships passed through them without a scratch, reaching the outside where the Nadesico and the Archangel were launching their attacks on the base. "Heheheee... looks like we have come out at the right moment, chief! Someone has already started the party!"

"And we were not invited? THat's not a very nice thing to do, is it?" the Professor joked, a small smile curling her ruby lips upwards. "Yoon, can the Dragonars and the Red Frame get out?"

"No problem about that, chief!" the clumsy girl answered, keeping her eyes on the screens. "And I think we are going to need their help. The enemy is launching more units by the minute! It's mostly Metal Armors and ZAFT models, but I can see a few Neo Zeon Mobile Suits as well."

"In that case..." the Professor said, opening a communication with the hangars. "You guys, are you ready to sortie? We are going to need to keep those Giganos idiots occupied while the Idaho gets out in the open. I'll send a communication to the two battleships out there and hail them as a friendly, so don't worry about those."

"_Actually, we have no reason to. One of them is the ship that saved us when Heliopolis was attacked_!" Tapp explained. "_The other one... well, I don't think I've ever seen it, but if the Archangel is with them, then I guess we can trust them, right? Actually, I think that should be the Nadesico Linda told us about, don't you think so_?"

"_Hmm, the famed Nadesico. I was always curious to see Nergal's new battleship model in action_!" Lowe exclaimed.

"I guess you'll get your chance pretty soon." the Professor answered with a light chuckle. "Anyway, get ready to sortie, everyone. Stay as close as possible to the base and support the Idaho as it sorties. Oh, and Lowe?"

"_Professor?_" the pilot of the Astray Red Frame. The bespectacled woman adjusted her glasses and smirked as the HOME's hangars slid open.

"You are hereby ordered to kick major ass!"

"_My plan exactly_!" Lowe replied with a victorious smirk, before the Astray Red Frame and the Dragonars launched and joined battle! The young Junk Guild tech unsheathed his beam saber and sliced through a nearby GINN's legs, disabling the surprised pilot and leaving him unable to fight anymore. "_Don't worry, pal. I'm a Junk Guild mechanic. I don't kill. But I can't have you guys destroy the Idaho or any one of our allies, can I?_"

"_I was just waiting for this moment! Time to pay you back for everything, you damn Giganos!_" Kain exclaimed. He joined his beam sabers together and twirled the resulting double-headed weapon in the Dragonar D-1's hands, descending upon the Giganos and ZAFT troops in a whirlwind of green light, while the D-2 supported him from a distance with a lethally precise shot from its shoulder cannons, and the D-3 stood close to his allies, using its computer-controlled devices to jam the enemy's electronics. A few missiles dove straight for the smallest of the Dragonar units, but its jammers did their job, and scattered the missiles away, sending them to crash on nearby debris.

"_Come out, Idaho! The moment is now!_" Light thought to himself, hoping that the ship would make it out in one piece...

**oooooooooo**

Captain Meio Plato tried for one last time to knock down the door Linda had trapped him behind, then gave up and took out his gun, shooting the electronic lock in order to short-circuit it and force the door to open. As he stepped out, he was greeted by several concerned soldiers, who quickly went to check on his conditions.

"Captain Plato!" one of them exclaimed as the Giganos ace stepped out, his expression composed but his anger palpable under the calm. "How are you doing, sir? You are not injured, are you?"

"I am unharmed." Meio answered, willing to cut to the chase before the escapees got too far away. "Where have the prisoners gone to?"

"They went to Hangar 6, where the Junk Guild cargo was stationed only a few minutes ago." a soldier explained. "We... have no idea how they managed to smuggle the Dragonar pilots into this base... and we speak, the cargo has broken through the hangar seals, and the Dragonar, along with an unidentified Gundam type unit, are engaging our forces ouside!"

Meio frowned. ZAFT would better have an explanation for this unknown Gundam... but for now, what really mattered was that the intruders were stopped and the Dragonars recovered or destroyed. "I understand. I'll sortie myself to stop them. Has the Le Creuset team been alerted of the situation?"

"Yes, captain Plato." another Giganos grunt answered. "We have confirmed the presence of the Earth Union battleship Archangel among the enemies, and as we speak, the redcoats are getting their own units prepared and ready to sortie."

Meio nodded, before hurrying in the opposite direction to reach the hangar where his personal Metal Armor, the Falguen, was stationed. He'd be damned if he was going to let this disgrace go on any further...

**oooooooooo**

Kira's beam saber sliced through an opponent GINN, and the chestnut-haired pilot quickly backed away before the Mobile Suit exploded, its pilot barely managing to activate the expulsion device before the blast could claim his life. Then, the Aile Strike Gundam turned its attention to the main Giganos base, which was now closer than he had anticipated. As the Archangel and the Nadesico made their way towards their target, he saw that a familiar battleship was beginning to emerge from the base... the Idaho had managed to take off, catching by surprise all the enemies, eho were thrown in disarray for a moment before trying to concentrate some fire upon the escaping cargo ship. Luckily for the Idaho, the enemies were unable to do much before the Dragonars intervened, cutting their way through the enemy Metal Armors while the other robots kept the rest of the army occupied.

The young purple-eyed Coordinator breathed a small sigh of relief. "Well, it seems things are going rather well for now..." he said to himself, searching the battlefield in search of the four stolen G-Weapons... which appeared on his radar a few moments later, launching from the Giganos base and immediately beginning to disperse and focus on one opponent each. Dearka's Buster Gundam acted quick and readied its long-range Sniper Rifle, aiming an incredibly precise shot that struck Dendoh in the chest, inflicting considerable damage and knocking the martial artist robot off its track before Hokuto could activate Unicorn Drill's Firewall to tank the blast.

"Aaaaargh!" Hokuto screamed, getting tossed back in his cockpit by the intense power of the shot.

"Hey! Take care where the attacks come from!" Ginga exclaimed. "That guy just sniped us!"

"I'm trying to get a visual on him... but he's too far away! Dendoh's weapon won't reach that far!" Hokuto exclaimed, before trying to move to a better position... but the chaos had allowed the rest of the Le Creuset team to move in position, and each of them chose an opponent and tried to make a beeline of it. Nicol and his Blitz Gundam targetted Akito's pink Aestivalis, while a squadron of GINN and CGUE kept the rest of the Nadesico team occupied. Shiho and her CGUE Deep Arms fired several shots against Lowe's Astray Red Frame, forcing the Junk Guild mechanic to make a wild zigzag in order to avoid fire. He drew his beam saber and charged in, but he was met with Shiho's own beam saber that stopped his attack, before receiving a kick to the Red Frame's midsection for his troubles. Dearka retreated slightly and aimed another shot at the biggest, slowest robots... this time, it was Daitarn-3 who was getting blasted, Banjou barely putting up his Daitarn Fan in time to shield his solar-powered robot from the worst of the attack. And the Aegis Gundam piloted by Athrun, just like Kira had imagined, began rushing him. The brown-haired Coordinator got ready to face his friend in battle, hoping to have a chance to talk him out of the fight...

But something unexpected happened - as soon as the Aegis Gundam seemed to be within range, and Kira expected Athrun to pop up on his comm screens a moment later, Fiona's Excellence-S intervened and dashed in, grabbing the purple Gundam and dragging it away with her oversized claw arm, leaving both friends dumbfounded and surprised. "Kira! I'll take care of the red one!" she called, trying to grab the Aegis in a powerful Gigant Crusher attack. "Ugh... damn, it's pretty tough... then again, Gundams aren't exactly known to be easy to deal with..."

"Ah! Hold... hold on a second, Fiona! Wait up!" Kira tried calling the girl back to explain what was going on, but he was cut short by a burst of beam rifle fire from the white-and-blue Gundam that had appeared out of thin air right in front of him. "Ugh... the Duel Gundam! Damn, this is just what I didn't need..."

"You will not escape, Strike!" Yzak Joule said with a triumphant smirk, shooting another beam rifle blast that grazed the Aile Strike's left arm, tracing a burn mark on the Phase Shift Armor. Before Kira had time to regain his wits, the Duel Gundam closed the distance and slashed with its beam saber, knocking the Aile Strike further back. "Hah! You've been a pain in our necks for far too long, Natural! I have no idea how you managed to do it, but your luck ends here!"

"This guy is good... I need to get away from him if I am to get through to Athrun..." Kira murmured to himself, trying to block the Duel Gundam's slashes while keeping an eye out for Fiona's Excellence-S and the Aegis Gundam. Unfortunately, the chaos of the battlefield was such that it was impossible to both keep track of those two and concentrate on the enemy in front of him at the same time...

"Don't get distracted! I am your opponent now!" Yzak exclaimed, scoring a vicious blow on the Strike. Had it not been for the Phase Shift Armor protecting the new-model Gundam, the Strike would have probably been bisected - as it was, it managed to get away with a melted gash on the side, from which electrical sparkles were pouring out...

"Damn... must stay calm..." Kira murmured, getting his guard up and parrying the next slash, before managing to get some distance and firing on the opponent...

**oooooooooo**

"Captain, new units have just taken off from the Giganos base. We have confirmed them as the Aegis Gundam, the Duel Gundam, the Buster Gundam, the Blitz Gundam and a new model of CGUE." Jessica said, taking a look at the instruments on the Archangel's main bridge. Murrue Ramius and her CO Natarle Badgiruel were keeping a close eye on the battle, and several of the other Heliopolis refugees were standing behind them, silently hoping for Kira and the rest of their defenders to come back safely. Vega was there as well, keeping an eye out for Dendoh and trying to mask the worry on her expression at seeing it getting hit by Dearka's Sniper Rifle. "We are also receiving a communication from the Junk Guild cargo ship that just exited the Giganos base. Shall I patch it through?"

"A Junk Guild cargo? What were they doing there, and why would they want to hail a military battleship?" Murrue asked, speaking more to herself than anyone else. Then, raising her voice just enough so that Jessica and the rest of the nearby crewmembers would hear, she nodded. "Patch it through."

Jessica pressed a few buttons and brought up a screen upon which the face of the Professor was visible. With a slight nod, the captain of the HOME did a kind smile and introduced herself to the Archangel crew. "This is the Junk Guild cargo ship called HOME speaking, and I am its captain... you can just call me Professor. Am I speaking to the Earth Union battleship Archangel? I have news that might be of interest to you."

Natarle frowned noticeably, being a little surprised and doubtful about having an extra-government organization like the Junk Guild helping out, but kept silent and let Murrue do the talking as the ship's captain. "Yes, this is Archangel speaking. I am acting captain Murrue Ramius of the Earth Union forces."

"The Junk Guild..." Vega murmured to herself, taking a good look at the Professor. She was sure she had already seen the beautiful glasses-wearing woman somewhere, though she couldn't really place her finger upon it at the moment...

"Oh, so it seems like we're speaking to a celebrity. I am most honored." the Professor said in a jolly tone that Natarle found to be highly out-of-place in such a dangerous situation. "Anyway, if we are to talk about important things... we managed to find three little scoundrel who I believe are part of your crew near what once was the impregnable Artemis. I believe they are the pilots of those Dragonars who are now busy kicking around the Giganos. Can you confirm that?"

"Captain Ramius, Vice-Captain Badgiruel! I have the three Dragonars on the radar! I can confirm their signature!" Sai Argyle exclaimed, smiling a little when he saw that the three stolen Metal Armor prototypes were still in one piece along with their pilots. "As we speak, the Idaho is also exiting the Giganos space station! By the way, I can also see an unidentified Mobile Suit fighting alongside the Dragonars... I think it's a Gundam model, but it's one I never saw before."

Murrue smiled to herself despite the tense situation. "Well, that's good to know... a Gundam, you say? Maybe our friends here can give us an explanation?" she said, before casting a knowing glance at the Professor, who simply shrugged and cracked a cunning smile.

"Oh, that? Just a little present we found lying around, the Astray Red Frame." she answered. "You might be interested to know that it was lying in the ruins of the Heliopolis colony, and it wasn't the only prototype of its kind who seemed to have been forsaken in that place. Serpent Tail just happens to have another Mobile Suit of a similar kind."

"Serpent Tail? As in, the guild of mercenaries to which the famed Gai Murakumo belongs?" Natarle asked. Both she and Murrue, as well as several crewmembers, were quite surprised at the revelation, and their suspects that there was more than met the eye about the new Gundam models were getting confirmed. "If that is the case, I fervently hope we will not meet them as enemies. That aside, we are going to need your support for this battle. I know Junk Guild is supposed to be neutral in all dealings, but can we count on the Astray Red Frame to be of help just for this once?"

"Of course. Just trust us on this one." the Professor answered cheerfully. However, a call from Liam and Kisato from behind her caused her to turn in their direction, and shecould see that both of them had a worried look on their faces. "Liam? Kisato? What is the matter?"

"We have bad news, captain. Several Metal Armors have launched from the Giganos base, and we have confirmed the presence of the Falguen among them!" Kisato answered. "The Blue Hawk of Giganos, captain Meio Plato, has joined the fight."

"Damn, this is going to be hard then..." the Professor stated, losing her cheerful disposition. "We'll have to give those kids some support at least. Try to run interference against the enemy reinforcements and slow down their advance! Captain Ramius, I guess we'll have to count on each other for this."

"Rest assured we will do our best." Vega answered with a nod, as the battle raged outside...

**oooooooooo**

The HOME immediately tried to support the Idaho and help it as it was getting away from the Giganos base, still taking heavy fire from the allied Giganos and ZAFT forces that were swarming it. Its mechanical arms picked up several pieces of debris and destroyed robot parts from the battlefield and chucked them at the Giganos reinforcements, trying to scatter them... but the leader of the Giganos squadron, a well-known blue Metal Armor with a pair of wing-like extension on its back and a sleek, streamlined figure easily dodged the improvised projectiles and quickly got dangerously close to the Idaho, aiming its machine gun at the ship's engines.

"I will not let you escape." Meio stated calmly, taking aim with his weapon. "If I can just hit the Idaho's engines, the ship will be crippled, and you will not be able to go anywhere."

"Oh, really? Well, you're going to have to deal with us before you do that, blue boy!" Kain's confident voice broke Meio's concentration before the latter could shoot. The D-1's double beam saber dropped down on the Falguen, who brought up his own weapon just in time to block the overhead slash. A shower of sparks came from the crossed blades pushing one against the other, and both Metal Armors soon become locked in a frantic swordfight, each of them trying to push through the other's defence... at least until Meio, making use of hi greater skill and experience, quickly rolled out of the way and sent the D-1 flailing in vacuum. As the white-and-red Dragonar was busy trying to regain its balance, Meio levelled his machine gun at him and attempted to shoot... but his attempt was cut short by the Dragonar-2 slamming into him from behind and knocking him off balance!

"You again." Meio stated, growing annoyed at those newbies interfering yet again. The Dragonar-3 was hovering nearby as well, and Meio started to be actually worried about being outmatched. "So you are going to try to stop me again? That will be a mistake you'll regret doing!"

"I wouldn't count on it, pal! Now that the three of us are together, you aren't getting away that easily!" Light answered, sending out a volley of missiles against the blue Metal Armor. Meio swerved away and managed to avoid the missiles, before shooting at the D-2 and the D-3 to keep them on their toes... but the D-1 took that as an occasion to strike back and slammed its shield on the Falguen's partially unprotected back, sending the blue Metal Armor reeling. Tapp followed up with a shot from his shoulder cannons, and managed to hit the Falguen in the right shoulder, seriously damaging the limb! With an annoyed snarl, Meio tried to back away and shrug off the Dragonar-1 that was now staying close to him and attacking with a combination of sword slashes and shield bashes. Unfortunately for him, he was now up against all three Dragonars at the same time, and while Kain, Tapp and Light were hardly as experienced as him, their teamwork and ingenuity was evening the playing field.

"Hmph... you Terrans are so outclassed that you have to resort to triple-teaming a superior opponent in order to stand a chance..." Meio stated in an annoyed voice, getting away from the D-1 and shooting a salvo from the Falguen's machine gun, which Kain barely managed to block with his Dragonar's shield. The Dragonar-2 dashed in and tried to ram the Falguen with its shoulder, but the agile blue Metal Armor dodged and kicked the D-2 in the back, only to have to deal with a swarm of missiles from the Dragonar-3, and getting pushed further away from the Idaho in the process.

"This is bad..." Meio murmured to himself, trying to right his Metal Armor and resume the assault. "If I cannot shake these Terrans off, the Idaho will rejoin the Archangel. And I'm not eager to find out what the Nadesico can do, either..."

**oooooooooo**

"Damn it! I just can't get a lock on this guy!" Akito exclaimed, his Rapid Rifle once again missing the elusive Blitz Gundam. The black Mobile Suit was larger than Akito's Aestivalis, but it was just as speedy as well, and each of his attacks were missing the mark. Even those that came close ultimately fell short, as the Blitz Gundam's Mirage Colloid allowed it to simply disappear under Akito's eyes. Fortunately, Akito had managed to see that he needed to drop Mirage Colloid in order to attack for some reason, and he was getting the hang of when and where the Blitz Gundam was going to reappear in order to defend himself from his attacks. The battle was now at a stalemate, with neither side managing to get the upper hand.

The Blitz fired a shot from its beam rifle, which Akito managed to block with his Aestivalis' Distortion Field... but it turned out to be just a diversion, and the Blitz quickly dashed to the Aestivalis' side during the split second in which it couldn't move and shot its Lancer Darts, striking the pink Aestivalis in the side and causing Akito to scream in pain and frustration.

"Aaaaaargh! Damn you... don't think I'm going down that easily!" he roared, using his close combat knife to dash at the Blitz Gundam and execute a roundabout slash at it. The blade bounced off the Blitz Gundam's Phase Shift armor, but it did manage to knock the powerful Mobile Suit off balance, and gave Akito some breathing room to look around himself. Gai and the girls were busy holding off a large number of ZAFT and Neo Zeon units, and were unable to give him assistance... which meant, he would have to hold off the Blitz Gundam by himself, while taking care not to strain too far away from the Nadesico.

Akito was quite surprised when a comm window showed up on his screen, and he could get a god look at the pilot of the opposing Gundam: he was expecting a nasty-looking thug, but it turned out to be a nice-looking young boy, about two or three years Akito's junior, with curly lime green hair and a rather pleasant expression on his face. Not exactly the kind of person one would expect to find at the commands of a combat robot...

"_I have nothing against you, and the Nadesico is not among our priority targets for now. Please retreat._" Nicol asked, calmly but firmly. "_I do not wish to fight needlessly._"

"Wh... What?" Akito mouthed in shock. "You... you are the pilot of that Gundam? How... how can you be so young? You look to be barely in your teens... unless of course ZAFT is forcing you to fight in that damn machine, of course! There is no other possible explanation for it!"

"_What? What are you saying?_" Nicol asked, genuinely confused about the whole thing.

"It's easy! Those damn ZAFT warmongers have obviously forced you to climb into that cockpit and fight on their behalf!" Akito exclaimed in indignation. "ZAFT is truly inhuman! Who would ever force a boy barely in his teens to fight in a war? They need to pay for their cruelty!"

Nicol was a calm, rational kind of person, but badmouthing his home country was an excellent way to get on his bad side. The young redcoat frowned angrily, before slashing at Akito's Aestivalis with his beam saber, the older boy barely blocking the attack in time with his combat knife! Akito was surprised to see Nicol lash back at him for what Akito has considered a rightfully indignated rant after seeing an injustice being committed.

"And where do you come from, accusing my home country of such a thing?" Nicol exclaimed. "I'll have you know, I have volunteered into ZAFT's army of my own free will, because I wanted to help my country! I don't like fighting any more than you do, but I couldn't just stand by and watch while other people my age were out there, risking their lives!"

"Wh... What?" Akito asked in surprise. "I... I don't understand! Why would anyone get into a killing machine of his own free will? This doesn't make sense at all!"

He tried to move away from the Blitz, but the lancer dart that had pierced his Aestivalis' side had damaged a few important parts, and the pink robot's movement had become slower and more sluggish, allowing the Blitz to remain in close quarters, while the other Aestivalis kept up with the onslaught coming from all sides. A few enemies had managed to slip by, but the Nadesico was shielding the Archangel with its own body, keeping it safe thanks to its Distortion Field.

"Damn... I need to come up with an idea, or I'm going to lose this one... but this Phase Shift Armor thing is really testing my patience!" Akito exclaimed. He thought about it for a moment, asking himself why couldn't the Blitz just turn invisible at will and take advantage of that to destroy him... and at that moment, an idea came to his mind. "Hold on a second... maybe I got it! Maybe he can't just stay invisible all the time, because it depletes his energy... or maybe the Phase Shift Armor doesn't work when he's invisible! If I can somehow locate him, then maybe I can strike a solid hit..."

**oooooooooo**

"**Gigant Crusher!**" Fiona yelled, dashing at the Aegis Gundam with her claw arm extended and wreathed in a nimbus of destructive energy. Athrun barely managed to get out of the way in time, using his Gundam's speed to sidestep the attack... but the sheer power behind it was enough to throw the Aegis back for quite a long distance, where it skidded in a safe guarding position. Then, just as Fiona was turning her robot around to counterattack, Athrun fired his beam rifle, one of the beams hitting the Excellence-S' claw arm and damaging it. Fiona bit back a curse seeing how her main weapon was becoming more difficult to use, and couldn't help but chuckle in grudging admiration when the Aegis switched to Mobile Armor mode and dashed in, trying to catch her in its grip.

"_I have no idea who you are, or where your robot comes from... but you're some pilot._" Athrun admitted to her, as she dodged the attack and the Aegis Gundam switched back to Mobile Suit configuration, closing in on Fiona.

"Heh... thanks, you're not bad yourself." Fiona offhandedly complimented him back. "I see that ZAFT knows how to train their redcoats... but sadly, I cannot allow you to get close to the Idaho or the Archangel! Sorry, pal, but they're allies of my ally, and that makes them my friends as well!"

"_I have no interest in fighting you. Please, let me go over to Kira and talk to him._" Athrun exclaimed, and Fiona was sure to hear a distinct pleading tone in the young redcoat's voice. "_I think you already know him. The pilot of the Strike Gundam, that Gundam that's fighting on your side._"

"What? And why should I let you do that?" Fiona asked incredulously. "Hold on... hold on a second, let me guess... you must be Athrun, that ZAFT guy Kira told me about! You were his best friend when you went to school together in the lunar colonies before the whole mess started! Am I right?"

"_Yes, that's exactly it..._" Athrun exclaimed. "_You seem to be a better person than most Earth Union soldiers, so I feel I can tell you this. Kira is a Coordinator, just like me... and he should not fight for a side that is only interested in milking him for all he's worth and then cast him away. Come to think of it, you should stop fighting for them as well. Someone like you should not let herself be manipulated by those people._"

""Sorry to disappoint you, but these people are not manipulating me. And neither are they using Kira in any way." Fiona fired back, blocking a slash from Athrun's saber that was intended to cripple her thrusters. "The Nadesico crew helped me and saved my life when I was injured on Mars, and Kira is fighting to save his friends and keep everyone safe. So, we don't really have a reason to turn our backs on them! If you want to get to Kira, you go through me first!"

The girl swung her claw arm around and struck Athrun's Aegis Gundam in the midsection, tossing it away and further separating the red Gundam from the Idaho... and Athrun, gritting his teeth after getting tossed around in the cockpit, glared at the Excellence-S, feeling more and more under pressure as time went by. It was a race against the clock to stop the Idaho before it could get away... and to reach Kira and talk to him, hoping Yzak was going to leave someone to talk to...

**oooooooooo**

Shiho's CGUE DEep Arms and Lowe's Astray Red Frame were embroiled in a spectacular high-speed swordfight between them. Both of them seemed to be rather evenly matched, with Shiho's experience getting countered by Lowe's unexpected tricks and skill at improvising. Even though Shiho was trying to keep some distance between herself and her opponent, firing at the Astray Red Frame with her shoulder-mounted Thermal Energy Cannons, the Junk Guild Mobile Suit was proving to be a tough opponent, using every single facet of the battlefield to gain the upper hand. With a skillful dodge, Lowe's Red Frame grabbed the forlorn carcass of a wrecked Mobile suit and tossed it at Shiho... but the girl saw through the move and shot at the incoming obstacle with her Thermal Cannons, destroying it in a huge fireball! Then, she backed away a little... which turned out to be the right choice as the Astray Red Frame took advantage of the blinding light of the explosion to close the distance and slash with its beam saber, aiming for the Deep Arms' head. In a swift motion, Shiho used her laser sword to block the hit, and the two powerful weapons screeched madly when they clashed against each other... but it only lasted for a second before Shiho kicked the Astray Red Frame in its midsection, tossing it away.

"Heh... not bad at all for a Junker!" Shiho commented, using a deogative nickname for the Junk Guild members, whom she was never really fond of. "I wonder where you got off with that shiny new toy of yours. It's quite a neat Mobile Suit, if I do say so myself."

Lowe chuckled at the compliment, blocking her laser sword with the Astray Red Frame's beam saber. "Your Mobile Suit is nothing to sneeze at either. I've never seen such a model before... and I have a discriminating eye when it comes to Mobile Suits!"

"Heh... why do I not find this surprising at all?" Shiho snarked, dodging a slash from the Red Frame's beam saber and countering with a powerful slash that ripped away a chunk of armor from the red Mobile Suit's side. But just then, the Red Frame delivered a powerful punch that hit Shiho's CGUE Deep Arms in the faceplate, shattering one of the external cameras and causing one of the screens to die out, while the girl grit her teeth in frustration. "Ugh... I must say, you are pretty good at this. If this keeps up, the Idaho and those Dragonars are going to escape from under our noses..."

"Well, that was kinda the point of our intervention, wasn't it? Hehehee..." Lowe sniped at her, while the battle resumed...

**oooooooooo**

"**Sun Laser!**" Banjou exclaimed, and the tiara on Daitarn-3's forehead shone brightly for a split second, and then fired a bright laser beam that took Dearka and his Buster Gundam off guard, hitting the heavily-armed Mobile Suit straight in the chest! Its Phase Shift Armor proved to be useless against a laser-based attack, and the Buster Gundam suffered some considerable damage and was forced to retreat, while Denoh took out a GINN and a Dreissen with a swift display of Chinese martial arts, bringing its legs around in a powerful spinning kick. The two mighty robots had gotten their acts together, and were managing to tip the battle in the favour of both the Nadesico and the Archangel... but Kira and his Aile Strike Gundam seemed to be still in a pinch, with Yzak's Duel Gundam relentlessly dogging them! The brown-haired coordinator was being pushed back by the albino's ferocity and skill, and his Gundam had already taken some damage from the Duel's beam saber... and now, he was finding himself barely holding off the opponent. The Duel Gundam raised its beam saber again and aimed a slash at the Aile Strike's head, with Kira barely managing to bring his own sword up and block in time. Sadly, he was not prepared for the powerful kick that followed, which hits the Aile Strike in the midsection and threw it backwards, rattling Kira's cockpit.

"Hah! Is that all, Natural? I can't believe we've had so much trouble with the likes of you!" Yzak taunted, with an arrogant smirk on his face. Kira tried his best to hold out, and pushed against Yzak's beam saber with all the strength he could muster, but he felt like he was on the losing end. It seemed to be it for him... and yet, he was still determined to protect his friends and save the Archangel. He thought back of all his friends from Heliopolis who were on board the Archangel, and those who were fighting alongside him at the moment... Flay, Tolle, Miriallia, Sai, Kuzzey, Misha, Jessica, Kain, Tapp, Light... he needed to pull through for them! He needed to find a way to get out of this battle and not let the Strike fall in enemy hands...

And then, just when Kira was beginning to despair, it happened.

The world around him seemed to disappear in a haze, and the young boy's eyes glazed over, his irises becoming a full purple colour, as a strange violet object, reminding him of a seed of sorts, floated in front of his eyes for a moment... and then burst in an explosion of colour and light! Kira's vision returned normal a split second later... but now, he was feeling completely different... he was feeling calm, concentrated and coldly focused, and for some reason, he felt he could read his opponent's moves much better now! He felt powerful, yet controlled at the same time... now was his chance to turn the tables!

Kira pushed the Aile Strike Gundam forward and actually managed to knock the Duel Gundam off balance, causing Yzak to yelp in surprise and disappointment as he stumbled around! The surprised white-haired redcoat grabbed his controls and tried to push back, but the Aile Strike Gundam reacted with almost impossible speed and delivered a punishing kick to his opponent's midsection, shaking the whole enemy Mobile Suit!

"Wh... what?" Yzak asked in shock and outrage. "How is that... how did he get so strong all of a sudden? Ugh... I'll be damned if I let a Natural get the better of me! Don't underrate me!"

With an enraged yell, Yzak tried to slash again at the Aile Strike, swinging his beam saber in a wide arc... but Kira dashed backwards just theright distance and managed to barely dodge the lethal heat blade, allowing it to slash at cold vaccuum at only a few paces away from himself. Then, he dashed in and struck the Duel Gundam with a punch, denting the head armor and disabling one of the head-mounted machineguns, before delivering a powerful slash to the opponent's chestplate! The Duel Gundam could not guard in time, and the blade found its mark, tearing a large gash in the opponent's armor... and the powerful blow caused the cockpit to violently rock, and Yzak's visor to shatter, a razor-sharp shard of glass hitting the bridge of his nose, right between the eyes!

Yzak felt nothing for a second... then, a burning pain exploded in his face, along with a gush of blood that went into his right eye, causing his vision to be drenched in a vivid red!

"GYAAAAAAH!" Yzak yelled in pain, as the damaged Duel Gundam retreated, and an alarmed Dearka quickly went to his best friend's side, trying to help him get away from the battle zone!

"Yzak!" the dark-skinned blond exclaimed. "Dammit... Yzak, you okay? How are you doing?"

"Aaaaaaargh!" Yzak exclaimed, plugging his wound with his free hand. "FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!"

Dearka grit his teeth and decided it was a better idea to retreat while they still could. The Idaho had gotten too far away from the Giganos base, and now only the Falguen and a small group of Metal Armors were still giving chase. He glared at the Aile Strike Gundam in a mixture of anger and awe at the pilot's sudden burst of power, and then took off, bringing the Duel Gundam along, while Kira's eyes turned back to normal just as quickly as they had changed, and the young boy looked at his hands on the controls in shock. He was aware of what had happened... but it was all so quick and sudden, that he was having trouble believing it!

"What the... did... did I just do that?" he asked, staring at the retreating forms of the Duel and the Buster...

**oooooooooo**

Akito was keeping all of his senses tense, and was ready to go off at a moment's notice, as he surveyed his proximities, his Aestivalis' back firmly planted against a large piece of debris so that he could not be attacked from the back. Nicol's Blitz Gundam had once again used its Mirage Colloid in order to turn invisible, in order to blindside Akito, and the young cook turned pilot knew he had to rely on all his wits in order to be able to score a decisive blow against his opponent. Combat knife in the Aestivalis' hand, the young man waited for the right moment...

And then, as if he had had a premonition, he dashed to his right, where he could swear he had seen something moving among thedebris! It turned out to be the right thing to do, as the Blitz Gundam was reappearing just then to deliver a powerful blow to the damaged Aestivalis, and Akito executed a powerful thrust with his knife and actually caught the black Gundam in its midsection, plunging the knife deep into the torso and missing the cockpit by just a little!

Nicol widened his eyes in surprise and shock as the blade damaged several internal parts of his Gundam, the Phase Shift Armor powerless to do anything while Mirage Colloid was active! The invisibility cloak fell, and the Blitz Gundam stumbled backwards, with its pilot trying to regain control. "Agh! This... I can't believe this! He... he managed to anticipate where I would have attacked!" Nicol exclaimed, taking a quick look at his instruments and judging it was wiser to retreat for this once, began beating a fighting retreat towards the Giganos base, where Dearka and Yzak were already returning. "Ugh... it's no use, I guess. We'll have to retreat for this once."

Akito just stood there, panting heavily while his Aestivalis tightly held its combat knife, and watched in incredulity as the Blitz Gundam backed away, and the Idaho managed to avoid the most of the enemy barricade and get closer to the Nadesico and the Archangel, who were hurrying to cover its escape. The Archangel's Valient cannon fired a few shots, holding off the enemy, while the rest of the Aestivalis team rejoin Akito, lously complimenting him for his victory!

"Well done, Tenkawa!" Gai exclaimed in pride. "Way to lay the smack down on that invisible Gundam! You showed him what a real man is about!"

"Heh... nicely done, Tenkawa!" Ryoko admitted with a small smirk. "You did quite well, I have to say. There might be hope yet for you as a pilot."

Akito shook off his incredulity, and finally managed to smile back at his friends, feeling proud of having defeated such a powerful enemy. "Thanks, guys... I just did what you taught me to do... and it worked!"

**oooooooooo**

The battle was now clearly in the Archangel and Nadesico's side... and only a few stragglers from the Giganos base were still trying to give chase to the Idaho. Among them,Meio Plato and his Falguen were struggling to keep up with the three Dragonars ganging up on them, and the blue Metal Armor had already taken some damage. Its laser sword clashed against Kain's double laser blade as the two clashed again, but Tapp and Light took advantage of the moment and fired their machine guns at it and forced Meio to back away from the battle. Kain smirked and aimed his own Dragonar's machine gun at his opponent, firing a volley of bullets that overwhelmed the opponent, and caused him to flee back to the launch base.

"Heh, so you're not so tough when we outnumber you, huh?" Kain taunted. "You better get your ass away from here, if you still wanna have it intact by the end of the day!"

"Hmph... your base mockery is quite out of place, given the circumstances. You have only won a temporary victory... rest assured that you will not be so lucky next time!" Meio challenged back as he fled, leading a group of Metal Armors away from the battle, and glaring angrily at the retreating form of the Idaho. Linda was there, and she was slipping away once again... why couldn't she understand that he was doing all of this for the sake of a better future? And how could she really be convinced that a Terran would be able to love her and make her happy? This was all absurd to Meio, who could do nothing but watch powerlessly...

In another part of the battlefield, Fiona's Excellence-S and Athrun's Aegis Gundam clashed swords again, pushing against each other for a moment, and then separated, with Athrun reluctantly joining his comrades in their retreat, and even Shiho and Lowe were forced to stand back, while the quartet of ships, composed of the Nadesico, the Archangel, the Idaho and the HOME, fled the place, firing a few shots to cober their retreat. Fiona, on her part, smiled confidently while she joined Daitarn-3, Dendoh, Mwu's Moebius Zero and the Aile Strike Gundam in returning to their ships, and commended Kira on a job well done.

"Way to go, Kira! You sure nailed that ZAFT blowhard!" she exclaimed. "I think they're gonna learn their lesson this time!"

"Yeah... a really nice going, kid!" Banjou complimented him. "That Gundam of yours is really something else, isn't it?"

But Kira hardly paid them any attention. Still shocked at his sudden burst of skill and fury, he staed at his own hand in shock, wondering what just had happened, and oblivious to the fact that it was going to have dire consequences in the future...

**oooooooooo**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


End file.
